The mystery AI device that could replace your phone

Tiny, screenless clips built by former Apple designers could bring an end to the smartphone era, reports Anthony Cuthbertson

Humane’s AI Pin projects lasers onto any surface, offering artificial intelligence in the palm of your hand (Humane)

In 1984, a 29-year-old Steve Jobs was asked for his thoughts on personal computers. It was just months after the launch of the first Mac but the Apple founder was already thinking decades ahead. "The types of computers we have today are tools,” he said. “The next stage is going to be computers as ‘agents’... It will almost be like you have a little friend.”

Jobs lived just long enough to see an early version of this concept – he died one day after the release of Apple’s virtual assistant Siri – as he oversaw the progression of desktops into laptops and then hand-held smartphones. Alongside him for each of these evolutions was Jony Ive, who is now reportedly working on what could become the next iteration of personal computers: A tiny, screenless, AI device.

Since leaving Apple in 2019, the renowned British designer has set up his own company, which is now in advanced talks with ChatGPT creator OpenAI to build the “iPhone of artificial intelligence”. Little is known about what form the device might take, but Japanese tech giant SoftBank has already pledged more than $1 billion towards the venture.

Speculation about what form it might take ranges from a standalone ChatGPT-enabled speaker like Amazon’s Echo, to smart headphones that give wearers an AI earpiece they can talk to. OpenAi did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent but people familiar with the matter said that it will not feature a screen, marking a significant departure from smartphones.

These ideas of how it will look are mostly driven by recent developments with the viral chatbot, with OpenAI announcing in the last two weeks that its AI now has direct access to the internet, as well as the ability to “see, hear and speak”. But taking the longer view, the next big leap may be something far more bold. Another former Apple designer, Imran Chaudhri, is already working on what he believes is the next logical evolution for personal computers.

Chaudhri, who is credited with inventing the iPhone’s touchscreen, foresaw the convergence of AI with voice- and gesture-driven computing to create an entirely new way of interacting with technology.

Foregoing the screen altogether, Chaudhri’s new company Humane has come up with the AI Pin – unveiled on Friday at a Paris fashion show – that clips to your clothes and beams a laser-projected display onto any surface, such as your palm. It can also respond to voice queries and see the world through tiny cameras and sensors.

Humane’s AI Pin on display at Paris Fashion Week 2023 (Coperni)

Its unveiling on the lapel of model Naomi Campbell came as new figures revealed the dire state of the smartphone market. Amid reports of overheating iPhones and unsafe levels of radiation, market analyst firm Canalys revealed that sales have fallen to their lowest level in a decade.

The end of the smartphone era has been forecast for several years – including in our newsletter – but the recent pace of AI developments mean a new paradigm of ambient, AI-driven computing may be almost here. Unlike a smartwatch it requires no companion device, and unlike a pair of smartglasses it doesn’t create a barrier between the user and the real world.

If it turns out to be Ive’s mystery device or Chaudhri’s AI Pin, it could well be one of Jobs’ disciples that delivers the final form of his vision: shrinking personal computers to the point they virtually disappear altogether.