OpenAI, Jony Ive team face technical challenges to develop AI-native device: Report

OpenAI has to scale up the cloud storage infrastructure as a priority if it really wants to launch it in 2026.

Following the formal announcement of the partnership between OpenAI and former Apple product design lead Jony Ive in May, Ive's engineering and design teams at io Products, Inc. officially merged with Sam Altman's firm in July. Though the company will be deeply involved with OpenAI's device design, it will remain independent.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI)-native device was expected to make its debut in 2026. For this, OpenAI reportedly signed deals with Apple's Original Design Manufacturers (ODM) partners, such as Luxshare, last month, and is in talks with Goertek, which manufactures AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches.

Now, a report from Financial Times has revealed that Ive's team are facing technical hurdles to develop the AI-native device.

As per the reports, the OpenAI device will be in palm-sized smartphone formfactor, but without a display panel. It will feature a processor, a microphone, a camera (multiple in select variants) and a speaker similar to Humane AI Pin launched in 2023.

Unlike the Humane AI Pin, which had a half-baked AI voice interface, the OpenAI device would be much better in terms of understanding complex queries and responding with accurate answers with correct context.

However, the engineers at OpenAI are grappling with AI infrastructure, as it is already facing issues cloud server capacity to run ChatGPT, Sora, Codex and other allied services worldwide.

OpenAI has to scale up their cloud storage infrastructure as a priority if it really wants to launch it in 2026.

Additionally, Jony Ive is known for his obsession with minute nuances of the device's design. His software team, too, is obsessed with developing the different personalities for the voice assistant. They are working to make an AI device support multiple identities with different tones, such as a helpful assistant, a professional, philosophical one.

As this is said to be a palm-sized screen-less device, it will be hearing and watching at all times, provided the user permits it to do so. And, the engineers want the voice assistant to intuitively understand the context, be fully aware of when to respond and stop during a conversation with the owner.

These are one of many issues why Humane AI Pin and Rabbit AI devices couldn't find traction beyond niche technology enthusiastic consumers.

OpenAI will also be competiting with Amazon's Echo smart speakers and Google IoT devices.

However, it remains to be seen how OpenAI and Jony Ive would tackle the new challenges in creating a personality for the AI assistant and turning an innovative concept into a fully functional, practical device. The company may likely face delays in launching the device in 2026.

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