A screenless, AI-powered device from OpenAI and legendary designer Jony Ive was supposed to redefine how we interact with technology, but big hurdles are now threatening that vision.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- OpenAI and Jony Ive are collaborating on a screenless, palm-sized AI device focused on voice and visual cues.
- The project faces technical limitations, especially in real-time computing power and AI personality design.
- Privacy concerns around the gadget’s “always-on” listening mode are slowing development.
- Despite hopes for a 2026 launch, the timeline is now looking increasingly uncertain.
What Happened?
OpenAI and Jony Ive’s plan to release a revolutionary AI-powered gadget may not arrive as smoothly or quickly as originally envisioned. Internal reports and sources say the team is hitting major roadblocks with the device’s design, computing infrastructure, and user experience challenges.
🤖 OpenAI and Jony Ive are building a palm sized, screenless AI assistant targeted for 2026, but core software, privacy, and compute are not ready yet.
— Rohan Paul (@rohanpaul_ai) October 5, 2025
per FT report.
The device listens and sees the environment through a mic, camera, and speaker, stays always on, and the team… pic.twitter.com/AB8d1NYUrr
A Bold Vision, Now in Question
Back in May, OpenAI acquired Ive’s device startup io for a reported $6.5 billion. The partnership was hyped as a fusion of powerful AI and iconic design, aiming to usher in a “new generation of AI-powered computers.”
The product in development is screenless, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and uses audio and visual input to interact with users. It’s being designed to observe, listen, and respond in a natural way, much like a human assistant.
But building such a futuristic device has turned out to be far more difficult than anticipated.
Computing Power and Real-Time Processing
One of the major setbacks is infrastructure. OpenAI’s servers are already stretched handling demand from ChatGPT, and this new gadget would require continuous, real-time processing of complex visual and audio data.
A source told Financial Times, “Amazon has the compute for an Alexa, so does Google [for its Home device], but OpenAI is struggling to get enough compute for ChatGPT, let alone an AI device – they need to fix that first.”
Without the needed computational backbone, the device simply won’t run as intended.
The Personality Problem
Beyond the hardware and backend, the team is struggling with something more abstract but equally crucial: the AI’s “personality.”
Since the device is intended to be “always on,” it needs to jump into conversations or offer help without being prompted. But this opens a whole can of worms. How do you prevent it from interrupting unnecessarily? How do you ensure it knows when to stop talking?
Developers are experimenting with various conversational tones to make the assistant feel like a “helpful friend” rather than an annoying intruder or overly familiar companion.
Privacy Is a Big Sticking Point
A gadget that’s always listening and possibly always watching understandably raises privacy concerns.
Internally, the team is still trying to balance this level of attentiveness with ethical standards. Questions around when and how the device listens, what it stores, and whether users can control those settings are proving tough to answer.
Still in the Design Phase
Physically, the device is expected to be about smartphone-sized, with a camera, microphone, and speaker. It’s designed to fit naturally into daily life, whether sitting on a desk or being carried around.
But while the design language may be minimal and elegant, the technical and philosophical complexity beneath it is anything but simple.
Earlier reports hinted at a 2026 launch, but those familiar with the matter now suggest that the timeline could easily slip if key problems aren’t resolved soon.
SQ Magazine Takeaway
I love the idea of a pocket-sized AI that blends into my life and just works without screens or swipes. But let’s be real. If OpenAI and Jony Ive can’t figure out how to make it private, respectful, and smart enough to feel natural, it won’t matter how sleek it looks. This is one of those moonshot ideas that could either transform how we use tech or remind us that the future is harder to build than it sounds.
