What will Jony Ive's ChatGPT device be? We rounded up the best guesses.
Let's get something out of the way first: nobody really knows what former Apple design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are building. That hasn't stopped the internet from bursting at the seams with wild guesses, gorgeous renders, speculative hot takes, and a healthy dose of meme-fueled imagination.
Serious Ideas
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a credible source in the tech hardware and supply-chain space, especially when it comes to Apple. His take on the Ive-OpenAI gadget is valuable. Kuo suggested that the announcement was timed to shift attention away from Google I/O. OpenAI positioned this as a new hardware-software narrative, riding the trend of "physical AI." He also referenced a quote from former Apple fellow Alan Kay: "People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware." That's exactly what Altman and OpenAI are trying to do here.
Design Speculations
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Altman offered OpenAI staff a preview of the devices he's building with Ive. They aim to shift away from screen-based interaction and rethink what AI companionship really means in a day-to-day human context. The brilliant designer Ben Geskin imagined several cool form factors on X, including a circular disc. Geskin's ideas blend Apple-grade minimalism with futuristic whimsy, perfectly on brand for Jony Ive.
Unique Concepts
Echoing Geskin, another user on X proposed a disc-shaped device, sleek enough to pass as a high-end coaster or futuristic hockey puck. One BI colleague mentioned a smart ChatGPT lamp, possibly inspired by "The Sopranos" episode where the FBI bugs Tony's basement. Another X user joked about the device resembling emergency pendants worn by older adults but with ChatGPT instead of a nurse. Peter Hu proposed an AI-powered nail clipper, and there's even the idea of an AI vape pen. Some concepts suggest direct plugs into your skull, creating a "Matrix" or "Severance" vibe.
Looking Towards the Future
This device matters beyond its shape because of what it represents. If OpenAI wants to define how people interact with ChatGPT, it needs a hardware beachhead. Knowing Ive, the real product could be something no one predicted. The race to define the next major computing interface is officially on. With Ive and Altman teaming up, OpenAI is making a major bet that how we interact with AI is just as important as what AI can do.
When the curtain lifts, and Ive whispers "aluminium" in a design video, jaws will probably drop, and competitors will scramble. Until then, keep your renders weird, your guesses wild, and your brain tuned in to BI.
