Altman's mysterious AI device with the father of the iPhone is facing bottlenecks: computing power and personality design have become the biggest challenges

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple chief designer, "father of the iPhone" Jony Ive, are attempting to create an artificial intelligence device that "redefines human-computer interaction," but this ambitious plan is currently facing multiple bottlenecks.

On October 5th, the Financial Times reported, citing informed sources, that this "screenless AI device" was originally planned for release next year, but progress has been hindered due to a shortage of computing power, software bottlenecks, and difficulties in defining the "AI personality."

A person close to Ive stated, "Computing power is another significant factor causing the delay. Amazon has the computing power needed for Alexa, and Google has it for its Home devices, but OpenAI is struggling even with the computing power for ChatGPT, let alone for an AI device—they need to solve this problem first."

Hardware Specifications Taking Shape

In May of this year, OpenAI acquired io, a subsidiary of the design company LoveFrom founded by Ive, for $6.5 billion, marking the official collaboration between this AI pioneer and the design master.

It is reported that the two hope to create a handheld, screenless device that can perceive the world through cameras and microphones and communicate with people in natural language—a kind of "next-generation AI companion."

This device is said to be "always on," capable of continuously collecting users' visual and auditory information to build a personalized "AI memory." It can be placed on a desk or carried around, attempting to surpass Echo or Siri-style "voice assistants" to become a truly understanding "AI friend."

According to a previous article by Jianwen, OpenAI has reached a hardware manufacturing agreement with domestic consumer electronics giant Luxshare Precision, planning to launch its first AI device product by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Computing Power in Crisis, AI "Personality" Hard to Define

The report cites informed sources stating that one of the biggest challenges of the project is computing power. Unlike Amazon (Alexa) and Google (Home), which have vast cloud computing resources, OpenAI is still struggling to meet the computing demands of ChatGPT, let alone support a "24/7 operating" consumer-grade AI device.

"Computing power is one of the biggest factors causing the delay," a person close to Ive said. "Without sufficient computing infrastructure, any device is out of the question."

In addition to computing power, another major challenge is how to define the AI's "personality." The OpenAI team hopes that this AI assistant can be as naturally friendly as a friend, without coming off as "weird" or "too intrusive."

"We don't want it to become your 'weird AI girlfriend,'" a knowledgeable source joked, "It should be like Siri, but smarter and warmer." But how to grasp the boundary between "smart" and "quiet" has become a challenge. If AI speaks too much, it can be annoying; if it is too indifferent, it seems uninteresting. As one participant said, "The personality of the model is the hardest part to balance— it can't be too flattering, nor too straightforward; it should be helpful but not fall into a self-referential loop."

Lessons from the Past: The "AI Disillusionment" of Humane and Friend

The project by OpenAI and Ive is not the first of its kind. Over the past year, several companies have attempted to create "AI companion" devices, but most have ended in failure.

The AI brooch launched by Humane, which was invested in by Altman, was met with a lukewarm market response due to performance and interaction experience issues; another AI pendant called Friend was criticized for being "too talkative" and having a "strange personality," which made it "creepy."

These failed cases have made OpenAI more cautious: how to ensure AI is "always online" without becoming a "nuisance" has become a core issue.

Despite the challenges, Altman's hardware dream remains unshaken. OpenAI's valuation has soared to $500 billion this year, surpassing Musk's SpaceX. To match this valuation, Altman urgently needs to prove that OpenAI can transcend the category of a "software company" and build a complete AI ecosystem.

OpenAI is not only recruiting a large number of former Apple hardware talents but has also poached several engineers from Meta who were involved in VR and smart glasses projects. Industry insiders believe that this series of actions indicates that Altman is trying to replicate Apple's "integrated hardware and software" path