OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has shared a perspective on the future of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasising that the current form factors of smartphones and computers are ill-suited for the true potential of AI. In an episode of Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s popular “People by WTF” podcast, Altman highlighted the need for new, ambiently aware hardware that can embody the “AI companion” of science fiction dreams.During the conversation, Altman said that while people have long relied on devices that are either “on or off,” the nature of advanced AI demands a continuous, contextual presence.“You really want AI to have as much context as possible, do stuff for you, and be proactive,” Altman stated, underscoring a significant shift from traditional human-computer interaction.

Altman says smartphones are not ever-present companions

He explained that a phone, being either in your pocket or hand, doesn’t align with the desire for an AI that acts as a companion throughout the day, capable of intelligent alerts, proactive assistance, and timely reminders.“The current form factors of computers are, I think, not quite right for that. They do have this either on or off binary that I think isn’t quite what we want for like a… the sort of sci-fi dream of the AI companion,” Altman noted.

Sam Altman on what OpenAI is designing with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive

This discussion comes amidst widespread speculation about OpenAI’s foray into hardware, particularly following its collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Altman remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his work with Ive, however he said that the duo aims to “try multiple products” to make AI omnipresent at all times.“The world will experiment with a lot of those [new form factors],” he said, mentioning possibilities like glasses, wearables, and small table-top devices. Altman stressed that the core idea is to build “ambiently aware physical hardware” that can host an AI companion.