OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar recently stated that she has personally experienced OpenAI’s AI hardware equipment and it is difficult to accurately describe the experience in words. “It feels very natural and lovable,” Friar said in an interview at a summit in California.
When pressed about whether it was a headset, Flair joked that designer Jony Ive might retaliate against her if she revealed details about the secret AI hardware device.
Last year, OpenAI acquired a startup founded by former Apple chief design officer Ive. After the acquisition was completed, OpenAI worked with Ive’s team to develop smart devices that are positioned as “inconspicuous, portable, and capable of comprehensively sensing the surrounding environment and user behavior.”
Ive and Altman
“What Jonny and his team do best is give devices humanity,” Friar said.
“I don’t really know how to describe it exactly, but when you see it and use it, you really feel it.”
OpenAI is still tight-lipped about the specific form of this device, triggering widespread speculation. In February this year, a "leaked advertisement" circulated on the Internet, showing a spherical device and headphone products, but OpenAI quickly refuted the rumor as "completely false news."
At the same time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made it clear that this product is not a mobile phone, thus ruling out some market speculation.
However, regarding the release schedule, the information disclosed by OpenAI is becoming increasingly clear. Friar said: "By the end of this year (end of 2026), OpenAI will officially release this product."
Previously, OpenAI stated in legal documents that the device is not expected to begin shipping until February 2027 at the earliest.
Friar believes that great design can revolutionize the way people experience technology products. She said: "Technology often has a mechanical feel, but excellent design will make all complexity disappear. Making things simple is actually the most difficult."
Previously, Altman and Ive have revealed that they hope to create a product that consumers will find irresistible.
At an event last November, Altman recalled Ive’s early talk about the design concept: “I remember him saying that when people see the product and they want to lick it or take a bite of it — that’s when we know the design is successful.”