By Muhammad Sal
OpenAI and renowned designer Jony Ive are encountering big engineering and design hurdles in developing a groundbreaking screenless AI device, potentially delaying its planned launch beyond 2026.
The device is described as a palm-sized, continuously listening assistant that understands audio and visual environmental cues without a traditional screen.
The collaboration between OpenAI and Ive’s startup, acquired for $6.5 billion in May 2025, seeks to create a new generation of AI-powered computers. This pioneering gadget is designed to operate via cameras, microphones, and speakers, responding intuitively and building contextual memory over time.
However, technical issues around software behavior, device “personality,” privacy safeguards, and backend computing capacity have proved unexpectedly complex.
The key challenges include defining when and how the device should speak or interrupt users and ensuring privacy with continuous audio-visual sensing.
OpenAI is also grappling with how to distribute the massive computing power required to serve millions of always-on devices without compromising performance or cost.
Sources familiar with the project told the Financial Times and other outlets that OpenAI’s aim is to design a device that feels more like a “friend-like computer” rather than a quirky AI, setting it apart from existing assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, which require wake words for activation.
The device’s continuous listening capability raises privacy concerns, as constant ambient sensing can be intrusive if not handled properly.
Moreover, OpenAI faces budget and infrastructure constraints to support the immense data processing for the AI’s real-time contextual awareness, unlike tech giants Amazon and Google which have vast computing resources.
This innovation is set to be carried or placed nearby rather than worn, differing from recent AI gadgets like the Humane AI Pin.
The original plan targeted a late 2026 release, but sources suggest delays could push this timeline further due to unresolved critical issues.
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