Jony Ive and Sam Altman yesterday launched a robust candidate for many irritating video of the 12 months: promising a very new idea in AI {hardware}, however giving little or no clue as to what it could be.
I transcribed the video to see whether or not I may spot any clues, at the side of different issues the 2 have mentioned. I feel we are able to draw some fairly protected conclusions about what it’s not – and there are one or two clues about what it is …
I argued a 12 months in the past that the AI {hardware} we’ve seen thus far is like individuals making an attempt to invent the iPod after the iPhone. As soon as we knew that Ive and Altman have been engaged on one thing, nonetheless, I needed to mood my skepticism, noting that it will be a courageous one that bets in opposition to the pair.
The one type issue that has thus far made any sense to me is sensible glasses, however Altman has particularly mentioned that io isn’t a pair of glasses, whereas each have additionally made it clear that it’s not a telephone.
The pair strongly indicate it’s a type issue we haven’t but seen, which would appear to rule out a badge, a smartwatch, a wise ring, or in-ear headphones. I imply, it is a advertising and marketing video, so we are able to’t be 100% sure that they’re not fudging issues a bit of, however to create this a lot fanfare earlier than releasing a brand new tackle one thing that already exists can be sort of a dumb transfer – and these aren’t dumb guys!
Listed here are a bunch of direct quotes from the video that actually do make the declare that they’re creating one thing(s) genuinely new.
“io is merging with OpenAI—fashioned with the mission of determining tips on how to create a household of gadgets that might let individuals use AI to create all types of great issues.”
“Jony not too long ago gave me one of many prototypes of the system for the primary time to take house, and I’ve been capable of dwell with it—and I feel it’s the good piece of expertise that the world may have ever seen.”
“And so it’s simply frequent sense to a minimum of suppose, certainly there’s one thing past these legacy merchandise.”
“I’m completely sure that we are actually on the point of a brand new technology of expertise that may make us our higher selves.”
The WSJ additionally has some quotes from a presentation Altman gave to OpenAI employees.
Staff have “the possibility to do the most important factor we’ve ever achieved as an organization right here,” Altman mentioned after asserting OpenAI’s plans to buy Ive’s startup, named io, and provides him an expansive inventive and design position. Altman urged the $6.5 billion acquisition has the potential so as to add $1 trillion in worth to OpenAI, in response to a recording reviewed by The Wall Road Journal.
Truthfully, for those who say all that after which launch a watch or a pendant, the web goes to return down on you so onerous …
However there are a number of extra particular clues. First, they’ve mentioned that they need to get individuals away from screens, which strongly implies that it both doesn’t have one, or that the display screen isn’t the first UI.
Altman additionally mentioned one thing which sounded considerably bizarre. He mentioned that, at present, if we have been sitting in a bar and wished to ask AI one thing, then:
“I might attain down. I might get on my laptop computer, I’d open it up, I’d launch an online browser, I’d begin typing, and I’d have to clarify that factor. Then I’d hit enter, and I’d wait, and I’d get a response. And that’s on the restrict of what the present instrument of a laptop computer can do. However I feel this expertise deserves one thing a lot better.”
I imply, I’m 100% a Mac-first man – give me a alternative between doing a random job on my iPhone or my MacBook and I’m sometimes going to make use of the latter – however not even I am going to tug out my Mac slightly than my iPhone for many AI queries in bars.
Maybe that’s simply tech bros in San Francisco, the place pulling out a laptop computer in a bar can be completely unremarkable, however there was additionally that opening line:
“I feel we’ve got the chance right here to sort of utterly reimagine what it means to make use of a pc.”
Whereas an iPhone, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Imaginative and prescient Professional are all technically computer systems, the phrase does are inclined to counsel one thing. The WSJ additionally says he received a bit extra particular with employees:
The product might be able to being absolutely conscious of a person’s environment and life, might be unobtrusive, capable of relaxation in a single’s pocket or on one’s desk, and might be a 3rd core system an individual would placed on a desk after a MacBook Professional and an iPhone.
If we take it out and put it someplace, that very strongly suggests it’s not a wearable, and that it will most immediately substitute for AI duties we would at present perform on a laptop computer.
So to me all that is saying:
- It’s a genuinely new form-factor, not a re-imagining of a present system
- It both doesn’t have a display screen, or the display screen isn’t the primary means we work together with it
- It’s not a wearable
- It’s supposed to be extra highly effective than a telephone, extra in step with laptop computer capabilities
Once I requested ChatGPT to take a position, the above picture is what it got here up with. Once I requested it to strive once more, and provide you with a unique type issue, it confirmed me the identical factor from a unique angle. I feel OpenAI is messing with us!
Do you may have your personal theories about what it could be? Please share your ideas within the feedback.
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Picture: ChatGPT’s imaginings. C0LDPLAY4LIFE: You discovered the key code for our Grid Body giveaway!
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