Sam Altman of OpenAI and Jony Ive, the former design chief at Apple, are collaborating on an innovative project to develop a screenless, AI-powered phone. This new device has the potential to revolutionize the smartphone experience, possibly even making traditional smartphones obsolete. Currently, the project is still in its infancy, with ambitions to create a voice-enabled assistant that is significantly more proactive than the AI assistants available today. As we use the term “smartphones,” one might question how intelligent these devices really are.

Although they assist us to some extent, many tasks still require manual inputs, even when using voice commands. This raises the question of why we haven’t seen the advancements that science fiction promised, where devices would intuitively understand and respond to our needs. Notably, there are varying opinions on whether this new device should even be classified as a phone. Reports suggest that some individuals involved in the project insist that it is not a phone, despite it potentially functioning like one.

Altman and Ive have established a venture called “io Products,” which OpenAI is rumored to consider acquiring for around $500 million. This venture has been in development for over a year and aims to implement voice-enabled AI in household products. The goal appears to be creating smart home devices that leverage AI to enhance interactivity and usability. While current smart home devices, such as Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Nest Hub, have voice assistants, they often lack a truly proactive and intelligent interface.

One major advantage of the proposed AI technology is its ability to comprehend natural language, which would enable more fluid and conversational interactions compared to present-day digital assistants. Despite the excitement surrounding the project, it is essential to note that it remains in the early stages of development. With no available concepts yet and a physical product still some time away, those anticipating its launch should be patient. However, if successful, this screenless AI device could significantly disrupt the existing smartphone market, challenging the dominance of companies like Apple and Samsung amidst the growing prevalence and necessity of AI technology.