- Sam Altman told MIT Technology Review we may not need hardware to engage with AI in the future.
- The OpenAI CEO has been rumored to be developing his own AI device.
- Recent AI hardware launches have been met with mixed reviews.
Sam Altman isn't sure our AI future requires new hardware.
Despite a flurry of new devices hitting the market, the OpenAI CEO told MIT Technology Review that we may not need to buy a separate device to engage with AI in the future.
"I don't think it will require a new piece of hardware," he said in Cambridge, where he was attending events hosted by Harvard University and venture capital firm Xfund.
Altman told the outlet that the type of app he envisioned for future AI agents could live in the cloud.
He described the futuristic app as a "super-competent colleague that knows absolutely everything about my whole life, every email, every conversation I've ever had, but doesn't feel like an extension."
Although Altman thinks AI devices are exciting, he told MIT Technology Review that consumer hardware for new technology was "so far" from his expertise.
The OpenAI CEO has been rumored to be considering the development of his own AI device.
Last year, The Information reported that Altman was in talks with Jony Ive, the designer of Apple's iPhone, about building a new AI hardware product. According to the report, Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, was also brought into their conversations.
Representatives for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Inisder, made outside normal working hours.
Recent AI hardware launches have been met with mixed reviews.
Humane's AI Pin was widely criticized — especially by Marques Brownlee, the YouTuber known as MKBHD.
Brownlee didn't mince words in his review of Humane's AI Pin, titling the video: "The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed… For Now."
While Rabbit's competing R1, a pocket-sized AI device, sold out within 24 hours of its January launch, many have speculated it could just be a smartphone app.