Sam Altman and Jony Ive have work to do if I'm going to buy their new device (www.businessinsider.com)

OpenAI has quietly been developing a consumer hardware device with famed Apple designer Jony Ive; Sam Altman says it’s expected in about two years and should pass a tactile “lick” test, but otherwise details are scarce. The announcement matters because a polished, mainstream device from OpenAI — especially one designed by Ive — could reshape how people interact with generative AI outside phones and apps. It’s positioned amid a wave of experimental AI gadgets (clip-on AI Pin, the Friend “necklace,” meeting-focused Plaud Note) that illustrate both potential uses (real‑time transcription, context-aware assistance) and the pitfalls (buggy services, weak product‑market fit, social and privacy friction). Technically, the most plausible near-term form is an audio-first assistant or wearable that “listens and learns,” offering on-the-go Q&A, summaries, and meeting notes — functions that rely on robust speech recognition, low-latency inference and privacy-preserving data handling. The community should watch for where computation and data processing happen (on-device vs. cloud), how latency and accuracy are addressed, and what safeguards protect recordings and personal data. Given past hardware launches’ reception, design and reliable core functionality will determine whether this becomes a useful extension of AI or another niche curiosity.