Big tech on a quest for ideal AI device
The ability to engage digital assistants as easily as speaking with friends is being built into eyewear, speakers, computers and smartphones, but some argue that the Age of AI calls for a transformational new gizmo.
Image: David Tramontan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has enlisted the legendary designer behind the iPhone to create an irresistible gadget for using generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The ability to engage digital assistants as easily as speaking with friends is being built into eyewear, speakers, computers and smartphones, but some argue that the Age of AI calls for a transformational new gizmo.
"The products that we're using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old," former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive said when his alliance with OpenAI was announced.
"It's just common sense to at least think, surely there's something beyond these legacy products."
Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that a prototype Ive shared with him "is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen."
According to several US media outlets, the device won't have a screen, nor will it be worn like a watch or broach.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Kyle Li, a professor at The New School, said that since AI is not yet integrated into people's lives, there is room for a new product tailored to its use.
The type of device won't be as important as whether the AI innovators like OpenAI make "pro-human" choices when building the software that will power them, said Rob Howard of consulting firm Innovating with AI. Learning from flops
The industry is well aware of the spectacular failure of the AI Pin, a square gadget worn like a badge packed with AI features but gone from the market less than a year after its debut in 2024 due to a dearth of buyers.
The AI Pin marketed by startup Humane to incredible buzz was priced at $699.
Now, Meta and OpenAI are making "big bets" on AI-infused hardware, according to CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.
OpenAI made a multi-billion-dollar deal to bring Ive's startup into the fold.
Google announced early this year it is working on mixed-reality glasses with AI smarts, while Amazon continues to ramp up Alexa digital assistant capabilities in its Echo speakers and displays.
Apple is being cautious embracing generative AI, slowly integrating it into iPhones even as rivals race ahead with the technology. Plans to soup up its Siri chatbot with generative AI have been indefinitely delayed.
The quest for creating an AI interface that people love "is something Apple should have jumped on a long time ago," said Futurum research director Olivier Blanchard. Time to talk
Blanchard envisions some kind of hub that lets users tap into AI, most likely by speaking to it and without being connected to the internet.
"You can't push it all out in the cloud," Blanchard said, citing concerns about reliability, security, cost, and harm to the environment due to energy demand.
"There is not enough energy in the world to do this, so we need to find local solutions," he added.
Howard expects a fierce battle over what will be the must-have personal device for AI, since the number of things someone is willing to wear is limited and "people can feel overwhelmed."
A new piece of hardware devoted to AI isn't the obvious solution, but OpenAI has the funding and the talent to deliver, according to Julien Codorniou, a partner at venture capital firm 20VC and a former Facebook executive.
OpenAI recently hired former Facebook executive and Instacart chief Fidji Simo as head of applications, and her job will be to help answer the hardware question.
Voice is expected by many to be a primary way people command AI.
Google chief Sundar Pichai has long expressed a vision of "ambient computing" in which technology blends invisibly into the world, waiting to be called upon.
"There's no longer any reason to type or touch if you can speak instead," Blanchard said.
"Generative AI wants to be increasingly human" so spoken dialogues with the technology "make sense," he added.
However, smartphones are too embedded in people's lives to be snubbed any time soon, said Wood.
AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Children's digital engagement: the rise of AI and viral memes
Some children are even using smartphones or tablet computers when they are as young as 12 months old, the researchers found. Research shows that children are embracing AI more and more and are engaging with chatbots Image: Supplied Children are embracing technology more and more and are engaging with artificial intelligence powered chatbots, the viral phenomenon of Italian brainrot memes, and a fresh interest in rhythm-based gaming. According to a report, children aged 8 to 10 spend approximately six hours a day glued to screens, while preteens—those aged 11 to 14—average even more at about nine hours. As a significant portion of their lives unfolds online, understanding their digital interests is paramount for parents hoping to foster healthy online habits. This year's findings indicate a striking rise in interest surrounding AI tools. Notably, while AI applications didn't feature in the top 20 most-used apps in the previous year, ' has recently entered the list. Children are increasingly not only curious about AI but actively incorporating it into their daily digital interactions. The Kaspersky report noted that more than 7.5% of all searches in this demographic were related to AI chatbots, with popular names like ChatGPT and Gemini at the forefront. Most notably, has amplified interest, with AI-related queries surging from 3.19% last year to over double that proportion this year. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Diving into specific trends, children in South Africa have shown a marked preference for communication and entertainment apps. WhatsApp maintains the top spot, accounting for 25.51% of daily device usage, closely followed by YouTube at 24.77%, while TikTok has slipped to third place with 11.09%. though still a recent entrant, was ranked 11th, comprising 1.26% of time spent on Android applications. Another fascinating aspect of the report is the emergence of "brainrot" memes, "characterised by absurd and chaotic humour. Phrases like 'tralalero tralala' have taken centre stage, representing a dynamic and rapidly shifting digital culture among children. These memes are shared across platforms, reflecting a shared understanding that may appear nonsensical to adults but resonates profoundly with younger audiences. Newly captured in the report is Sprunki, a rhythm-based game that combines music with dynamic visual interaction. Players engage by matching beats with lively audio, creating a captivating and physically stimulating environment. The game's increasing popularity is evidenced by its sudden rise in search queries, landing it among the top five most searched gaming topics alongside long-established titles like Brawl Stars and Roblox. For parents striving to secure their children's online experiences, Kaspersky recommends the following: Maintain open communication about potential online risks and establish clear safety guidelines. Secure gaming experiences with trusted security solutions to prevent harmful downloads. Stay informed on emerging threats and actively monitor children's online activities. Educate children on cybersecurity basics with resources like the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Alphabet. Utilise digital parenting apps like Kaspersky Safe Kids for managing screen time, blocking inappropriate content, and monitoring location.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Learning and Development is a Business Imperative
Lucia Mabasa is Chief Executive Officer of pinpoint one human resources. Image: supplied By LUCIA MABASA Staff training is as important for a manager as hitting your sales targets. You wouldn't let anyone else set those targets yet far too many managers do exactly that for training: shifting the responsibility to Human Resources departments. The problem is that delegation can very quickly become abdication, with negative consequences for the staff, the manager, and the company. Properly conceptualized and executed learning and development (L&D), should be neither a chore nor a nice-to-have. In fact, in this rapidly changing continually disrupted world that we live in L&D has become increasingly important. Companies often complain that the talent pool is far too shallow to meet their needs when they cast their net for new hires, but those same companies are in all probability not doing anything to create an internal pipeline of skilled talent. Great companies, through the ages, have seen the need and the value in developing their own skilled employees. For them, the question today is not what to teach but rather how fast their people can learn. The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has unlocked learning opportunities in ways that were unimaginable before. At one time training was generic, sometimes rote, always in a classroom. Now it can be asynchronous, one-on-one in person or remote or both. It can even be co-created with AI. The output can range from short skills courses to formal credentials. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Like the world it seeks to unlock, learning is far more agile than ever before in scope and scale. As always it is the CEO that sets the tone for any company and learning and development are no different. A CEO who is actively learning both inspires and allows their staff to do the same by physically creating a culture of learning in the company. Truly effective L&D though requires the involvement of the full gamut of the C-suite: The CFO needs to ensure that the old bugbear Return for Investment (ROI) is realised for the company; the CIO must implement and support the digital infrastructure required for modern learning while the Chief People Officer must create an environment that enables and encourages learning at every level. Creating an HR enabled learning environment is so much more than just measuring attendance and completion metrics, it is about putting in place mechanisms to ensure that the training does what it is supposed to: unlock the potential of the staff who have been selected to participate in this development. Sometimes those development interventions can be deceptively simple yet exponentially effective, like the time a company decided to send a manager to the Voice Clinic. The manager who was full of promise but failing, emerged as phenomenal deal maker and closer, having unlocked the confidence to speak in public with the actual abilities that were always on show in the office. We need to move away from a one size-fits-all approach to learning and development; the companies that are filled with curiosity about the different kinds of learning programmes that are available and look to technology not as a mechanism to police their personnel; focusing on algorithms to manage people and track progress, but as a way of developing skills are the companies that will flourish. As businesses evolve, so too do their needs, business leaders need to use L&D to meet both their short term staffing – and leadership – needs, as well as meet the challenges that might be looming five years down the line. Lifting your gaze beyond the immediate to the mid-future is perhaps the most important, because a five-year horizon provides a company with the runway to develop a proper in-house talent pipeline. When you get that right, you shouldn't need to always look outside the organisation for the talent you need, but just as there are different ways of learning for different people, so too are there different ways of attracting talent. Sometimes it makes sense to look beyond the strictures of the company organization if that is what the company needs, but equally that should only be done if the company has done everything it can to grow its own timber because creating a culture of always looking outside for leadership candidates can also be expensive and self-defeating. We have the tools like never before, which help reduce – and even eradicate - the traditional barriers to further education. As business leaders, we do not have an excuse not to act. The greatest incentive for traditional business leaders is that over and above the very laudable goals of developing the staff that work for you, it makes real business sense too with a tangible, positive, impact on the bottom line. There are business leaders who complain that there is no upside to training staff only to have them be poached by head hunters from rival companies. It's a valid argument but one that is easily trumped by its corollary: not training your staff and having them stay. *Lucia Mabasa is Chief Executive Officer of pinpoint one human resources, a proudly South African black women owned executive search firm. pinpoint one human resources provides executive search solutions in the demand for C suite, specialist and critical skills across industries and functional disciplines, in South Africa and across Africa. Visit to find out more or read her previous columns on leadership; avoiding the pitfalls of the boardroom and becoming the best C-suite executive you can be. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Trump launches new gold smartphone ‘made entirely in US'
The Trump Organisation claims the new gold smartphone is built entirely in the United States. What do you think of the new Donald Trump T1 smartphone? Picture: Trump Mobile US President Donald Trump has unveiled a new gold smartphone that he claims is built entirely in the United States (US). Trump phone The new device, called the T1 Phone 8002 (gold version), costs $499, with reservations available for a $100 deposit. According to the website, the phone is expected to be available in September. The announcement comes amid an effort to entice Trump's supporters away from major telecom providers and wireless network services. Dubbed the 47 Plan, the service will cost consumers $47.45 a month and will offer '5G service through all three major cellular carriers' – T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T. According to the statement, it will offer telemedicine, unlimited texting plans with 100 countries, and roadside assistance. ALSO READ: Apple WWDC: Everything Apple announced including Liquid Glass 'Change the game' The eponymous Trump Mobile was announced in a Monday statement issued by The Trump Organization, which is led by President Donald Trump's son, Eric. 'Trump Mobile is going to change the game, we're building on the movement to put America first, and we will deliver the highest levels of quality and service. Our company is based right here in the United States because we know it's what our customers want and deserve,' said Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization, Donald Trump Jr. 'Sloppy' The 'T1 Phone' is advertised as 'proudly designed and built in the United States'. The Verge questioned the viability of building a phone in the US so quickly. 'All we have is a website that was clearly put together quickly and somewhat sloppily, a promise that the phone is 'designed and built in the USA' that I absolutely do not believe, a picture that appears to be nearly 100% Photoshopped, and a list of specs that don't make a lot of sense together. 'The existence of a 'gold version' of the phone implies a not-gold version, but the Trump Mobile website doesn't say anything more about that,' David Pearce at The Verge reported. Targeting Apple? The T1 announcement coincides with increased tension between the Trump administration and Apple in particular. In May, Trump threatened Apple with a 25% tariff for any iPhone sold but not made in the United States, putting new pressure on CEO Tim Cook to move manufacturing out of Asia. 'I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or any place else,' Trump in a Truth Social post. 'If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' China However, the US president later expanded the threat to include all smartphone makers. While Apple designs its products in Cupertino at the company's headquarters in the United States, most iPhone assembly occur at the Foxconn factory in China. Apple has announced plans to shift some production to other countries, including India, but Trump said this would not satisfy his demands. ALSO READ: [REVIEW] Huawei Mate XT: No tri-fold gimmick smartphone, but it's pricey
