Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s AI gadget: a device you’ll want to touch, taste, or even bite

Sam Altman’s team, together with legendary designer Jony Ive, has unveiled the first hints of a new AI-powered gadget. Unlike traditional apps, this creation aims to redefine how we interact with artificial intelligence - not as software, but as a physical object that sparks an instinctive urge to reach out and engage with it.

Jony Ive, the visionary behind the design language of the iPhone, MacBook, and Apple Watch, described the device in strikingly sensory terms - something you might feel compelled to “lick or bite.” Far from being a playful metaphor, it signals a radically different user experience centered on emotional and tactile connection.

Key ideas behind the device:

Compact form factor resembling a “digital stone”

Deep integration with multimodal AI systems

Minimalist controls, with little reliance on a screen

Continuous yet gentle interaction with the user

If realized, this project could shift AI away from the realm of chat windows and apps, embedding it directly into the physical world. It revives the notion that user interfaces can be beautiful, tactile, and alive - not just streams of text on a display.

The gadget is already being positioned as one of the most talked‑about devices of the year. It may compete with Humane’s AI Pin and Rabbit’s R1, but with a far stronger design pedigree. What’s emerging is the beginning of a new race in hardware‑based AI interfaces.