Jony Ive and OpenAI's first AI gadget could be a pen-like device: Report

OpenAI's first AI hardware, developed with Jony Ive's LoveFrom, may be a pen-shaped gadget that uses sensors, cameras and a projector to assist users in real time, reports Bloomberg

OpenAI is working on its first hardware device powered by generative artificial intelligence, and early reports suggest it could take the form of a pen. According to Bloomberg, the device may use built-in cameras and microphones to remain aware of the user’s surroundings.

 

In May, OpenAI announced a merger with LoveFrom, the technology firm founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. In a teaser video released alongside the announcement, OpenAI hinted at building a new “family” of AI-native devices that could help users “create all sorts of wonderful things.”

 

Ive is known for designing some of Apple’s most iconic products, including the iPhone, iPod, MacBook and Apple Watch.   

What to expect from OpenAI’s first AI gadget

A recent legal filing by OpenAI, submitted as part of a trademark dispute with iyO – a Google-backed hardware startup – sheds light on what the company might be developing. The document reportedly confirms that the device will not have a screen and will not be a wearable, effectively ruling out a smartphone or smartwatch.

 

According to the Wall Street Journal, OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman recently briefed employees about the device, describing it as one that could fit in a pocket or rest on a desk. It would function as a “third device” that complements, rather than replaces, smartphones.

Bloomberg suggests the device could indeed be a pen. The report speculates that Ive may work around the lack of a screen by using a small projector to cast content onto surfaces. The pen’s clip could house a microphone and potentially a camera to analyse text, interpret surroundings or assist users in context-aware ways.

 

This would not be Ive’s first foray into pen-like technology. He played a key role in designing the Apple Pencil and had earlier commercial success with a product called the TX2 pen.

 

Altman reportedly told staff that Ive’s prototype “completely captured his imagination” and said the former Apple designer’s vision could help add “$1 trillion in value” to OpenAI.