sam ALTman
Just when we thought the AI hardware race was going to be all about glasses, wristbands, or voice-powered pendants, Sam Altman is pulling a curveball.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal leak (yep, the irony is not lost on us), OpenAI’s CEO told employees that the company’s next major product won’t be another wearable to compete with Humane, Rabbit, or Ray-Ban Meta knockoffs. Instead, think smaller — and weirder.
Altman reportedly described OpenAI’s upcoming device as a “third core device,” sitting alongside your MacBook and iPhone but with no screen, keyboard, or obvious interface. It’s meant to be ultra-compact, context-aware, and always there—basically an AI sidekick that just… exists quietly in your space. Whether it’s perched on your desk or riding in your pocket, the idea is that it integrates into your daily life without demanding your attention like yet another glowing screen.
This vision ties directly into OpenAI’s newly announced $6.5 billion acquisition of “io” — a young startup led by none other than Jony Ive (yes, the design legend behind the iPhone). Ive is now set to lead creative and hardware design at OpenAI, and according to Altman, this union could unlock a trillion dollars in value and redefine how we interact with AI altogether. (No pressure.)
But here’s the kicker: Altman emphasized to employees that stealth is key. The plan is to build in silence and stay ahead of the inevitable wave of AI hardware imitators. Unfortunately for him, a recording of that very meeting got leaked—classic 2025 energy.
Still, what OpenAI is attempting here is quietly radical — a shift away from screens and clicks toward ambient, embodied intelligence. If successful, this mystery device could become the new baseline for how we live with AI.
