Sam Altman and Jony Ive's Ki companion: New details run out

In an Openai meeting on Wednesday, CEO Sam Altman gave ambitious plans for the development of AI-powered devices in cooperation with the former Apple design boss Jony IVE on the publication of 100 million “AI Companion” devices that could deal with artificial intelligence, according to a new report.

Altman described it to the employees as a chance to do the greatest thing we have ever done as a company “. Openais Acquisition of Ives Io -Startup is the company's boldest hardware company, which may create the first major alternative to smartphone and computer dominance.

And on Thursday, the TF International Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo burdened possible details about Openas portable device.

New details Leck to Sam Altman and Jony Ive 'Ki companions'

In the meeting, Altman Openaai employee announced that the takeover of Ives startup of 6.5 billion US The Wall Street Journal. It seems to signal the company's determination to compete directly with Apple and Google in the hardware area.

The device represents what I call as a “new design movement” from the screen-centered approach that has defined smartphones and computers. In contrast to conventional devices, the Openai device becomes “the surrounding area and the life of a user,” so The WSJ, While you stay inconspicuous enough to rest in a bag or on a desk. Altman supposedly referred to it as the “third core device” that users would place next to their MacBook Pro and iPhone.

Ive, who shaped Apple's legendary products alongside Steve Jobs from iPhy to the iPhone, was enthusiastic about his partnership with Altman.

“The way we clicked and how we could work together was profound for me,” Ive said during the meeting and parallel to his legendary partnership with jobs.

Beyond the smartphone paradigm (and not the glasses)

My industry research shows the following in relation to the new KI hardware device from Jony Ives Cooperation with Openaai:
1. Mass production is expected to begin in 2027.
2. Assembly and shipping will occur outside of China to reduce geopolitical risks, with Vietnam currently … pic.twitter.com/5ielyejnyv

-郭明錤 (Ming-chi kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 22, 2025

For Apple users who are used to the integrated ecosystem of the company, Openai offers a fascinating alternative. Altman expressly found that the device is not a telephone or glasses, which deals with concerns about the portable technology that I have previously expressed skepticism. Instead, the focus seems to be on creating what Altman calls the “family family” that Apple's hardware software integration model could challenge.

“The current prototype is slightly larger than that [Humane] Ai PIN, with a form factor as compact and elegant as an iPod shuffle, ”Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on Thursday to X.“ One of the intended applications is wearing the device around the neck. It will have cameras and microphones to identify the surrounding area without display functions.

The collaboration resulted from the knowledge of Openaai that existing devices restrict the potential of the AI. Chatgpt changed people's expectations to the power of technology, but is still used in an old paradigm. Altman said that the new device “is not the science fiction dream of what AI could do to enable them in all way to which the models are capable of.”

Nevertheless, Kuo pointed out these types of AI devices as the path of the future.

“AI that are integrated into real applications and are often referred to as” physical AI “is generally recognized as the next critical trend,” he wrote.

Market challenges ahead

The venture faces considerable hurdles in a market dominated by Apple and Google, the software of which practically performs all smartphones worldwide. The latest attempts from KI hardware -startups -including human with his KI -Pin, in which Altman previously invested, have tried to win consumer traction. The financial challenges of Openaai contribute to another level of complexity. The company expects it to lose 44 billion US dollars before achieving profitability in 2029.

However, Altman is still optimistic about the timeline and aims to publish the late 2026 and promised to “send 100 million devices faster than any company ever sent something new. The ambitious scale reflects the conviction of Openai that the direct hardware access is the only way to reach consumers without relying on the platforms of Apple and Google.