Jony Ive and Sam Altman announce they finally have an AI hardware prototype.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive are keeping the details under wraps. The interview took place at Emerson Collective’s 2025 Demo Day event. The pair shared the details.
While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive have kept the specific details of their first mysterious AI hardware under tight wraps, it appears they have now settled on a definitive design. During an interview at Emerson Collective’s 2025 Demo Day with Laurene Powell Jobs, they confirmed they are actively building device prototypes. When pressed for a timeline, Ive suggested we could see it arrive in less than two years.

What Will OpenAI’s Device Be Like?
Not many details have been shared about OpenAI’s upcoming device yet, but rumors suggest it won’t have a screen and will be roughly the same size as a smartphone. Altman described the design using three great words: ‘simple and beautiful and playful.’ He shared that while they had an earlier prototype they liked, it didn’t feel special. He used a funny phrase, saying he didn’t feel like he wanted ‘to pick up that thing and take a bite out of it,’ but now, they finally have a design that gives him that feeling.

It Was Stated That OpenAI Is Very Easy To Use
Simplicity and fun were key for Ive too. He said he appreciates solutions that are almost ‘naive in their simplicity,’ but also smart products that feel great to touch, aren’t intimidating, and are so easy to use that they feel automatic—just good tools.
Altman expressed his hope that when people finally see the product, they’ll immediately feel like ‘That’s it!’—and Ive’s confident response was simply, ‘Yeah, they will.



