[HN Gopher] Jony Ive and OpenAI's Altman reportedly collaboratin...
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       Jony Ive and OpenAI's Altman reportedly collaborating on mysterious
       AI device
        
       Author : mfiguiere
       Score  : 40 points
       Date   : 2023-09-27 21:34 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (arstechnica.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (arstechnica.com)
        
       | TheAlchemist wrote:
       | And the timing of this rumor, which the article admits has
       | absolutely no specifics nor leg to stand on, has certainly
       | nothing to do with their attempt to raise funds at a $90 billion
       | valuation.
       | 
       | I can't help thinking that we're in for another 'AI winter' after
       | so much hype with Tesla, Nvidia and chatGPT.
        
       | sova wrote:
       | I wonder if it would be a human-ish/esque/like interface to the
       | MMLM? At Japanese Complete, we recently announced such a project
       | to become available once the MMLMs are more dialed in. I think
       | this is a natural step for the big players. We have our
       | curriculum as an edge, so optimistically beat featurization.
       | Announcement: https://japanesecomplete.com/articles/?p=1574
        
       | pcblues wrote:
       | An ever-changing UI has an enormous and unaddressed cost on
       | users. Continual re-learning without choice in order to achieve
       | the same tasks as always.
       | 
       | I imagine this will be accelerated with constantly renewed AI-
       | generated app experiences.
       | 
       | If a company could freeze the UI for a person once they have
       | mastered it for what they want to do with it without sacrificing
       | security, etc. (easy if they separate the concerns properly) I'd
       | buy the product. I'd almost pay a subscription for them to keep
       | it the same, like how I pay youtube a subscription to remove
       | their ads.
        
       | sova wrote:
       | Why wait for news when we can settle for gossip and speculation
       | /s
        
         | ilaksh wrote:
         | Its hilarious and kind of stupid that this empty rumour has so
         | much traction.
         | 
         | I think it just demonstrates that there is a lot of excitement
         | about the possibilities of AI and also of new gadgets.
         | 
         | It's like, imagine the most awesome gadget ever, now multiply
         | times REAL AI. How can that _not_ be amazing? Whatever it is??
         | 
         | Heh.
         | 
         | But it's also such a fun and engaging exercise to think how AI
         | could be embedded in a new device that you use every day.
         | 
         | It might be really good marketing, whether it was intended that
         | way or not. People can just project whatever they are
         | enthusiastic about onto it.
         | 
         | They may be disappointed at the end, but that might come after
         | they have already bought it.
        
       | mise_en_place wrote:
       | This is a big mistake. Software companies should not pivot into
       | HW without understanding what a large undertaking that is.
        
       | jordancode wrote:
       | Very exciting. This must be a smart speaker right?
        
         | hashtag-til wrote:
         | Alexa for dogs/cats/ferrets and whatnot.
        
         | ignoramous wrote:
         | I bet it'll be a smartphone that has front cameras to
         | fingerprint your retina and back cameras to track everyone
         | else's. In about half a decade, Zuck will show up with PS100b
         | to acquire it.
         | 
         | In all seriousness, Sam has been on record that smartphones
         | indirectly contribute to information/tech addiction, and that
         | lack of digital well-being is a global epidemic [0]. May be
         | that. Surely, that?
         | 
         | [0] https://blog.samaltman.com/the-merge
        
           | lyapunova wrote:
           | Why is it so painfully obvious that people with position
           | piece blog posts do so to distance themselves or provide an
           | alibi for the things they plan to directly contradict in the
           | future?
        
           | lovemenot wrote:
           | A personal verification dongle / hand-held Orb.
           | 
           | Lipstick-sized retina scanner (selfies only). No screen, app
           | store or other standard smart-phone features. Secure local
           | network interface to World Coin smart-phone app. Months-long
           | battery life.
           | 
           | Open spec h/w and OSS. Low cost, high-volume production.
        
         | babypuncher wrote:
         | Jony Ive is involved, so it will probably cost $1,500 and
         | require you to turn it upside down to charge it. But damn if it
         | doesn't look sexy sitting on your desk...
        
           | raverbashing wrote:
           | It will also forego usability for appearance. Who needs a
           | keyboard to type anyway...
        
             | babypuncher wrote:
             | I'm still not convinced The Onion's Macbook Wheel wasn't a
             | real thing he tried to convince Jobs to make.
        
           | karim79 wrote:
           | Indeed, and the buttons on it (power, mic on/off, volume
           | up/down etc) will start failing or doubling the input as soon
           | as the tiniest bit of dust breaches the gaps, thanks to the
           | latest-and-greatest Tiger Moth mechanism which is designed
           | for the perception of greater button travel while reducing
           | the thickness of said buttons by 0.00000000017%.
        
             | ryandrake wrote:
             | And the cables/cords will all look like this[1] after a
             | month of use because proper strain relief is for
             | "traditional companies."
             | 
             | 1: https://www.businessinsider.in/tips-for-fixing-an-
             | iphone-or-...
        
       | skilled wrote:
       | > One possibility is OpenAI is building its own operating
       | system... Imagine an AI-native operating system that could
       | generate apps in real-time based on what it believes its user
       | needs, or one that listens to nearby conversations and
       | automatically pulls up relevant information for its user.
       | 
       | I'm imagining that right now... it's not looking good.
        
         | carlthrowaway wrote:
         | Carl leaned back in his leather chair, a cup of steaming
         | chamomile tea beside him. The article he'd just read about Jony
         | Ive and Sam Altman's possible collaboration on an AI device
         | floated around in his mind. He looked out at the bustling city
         | through the tall windows of his penthouse office, pondering the
         | future.
         | 
         | "In a world increasingly reliant on instant information and
         | instant solutions," he mused aloud, "it isn't far-fetched to
         | believe that AI will not only supplement, but also redefine our
         | interactions. I imagine a device - not necessarily a phone in
         | the traditional sense - but an omnipresent companion, molding
         | itself seamlessly into our daily lives."
         | 
         | He imagined a slim, sleek device, devoid of buttons. Its
         | surface would be smooth, reflective, giving off a gentle glow.
         | It would be adaptive and intuitive, learning and understanding
         | its user's preferences and habits. No longer would people have
         | to spend time inputting data or even searching for answers. The
         | device would provide not just answers but also anticipate
         | needs, offering solutions before the user even recognized a
         | problem.
         | 
         | "Imagine," Carl whispered, "walking into a room and the device
         | automatically adjusts the lighting based on your mood, perhaps
         | playing soft ambient music in the background. And as you work,
         | it sifts through documents, instantly pulling up relevant
         | information, or perhaps even creating presentations on-the-fly,
         | guided only by your voice or thoughts."
         | 
         | He saw the potential for deeper human connection. With mundane
         | tasks outsourced to the AI, people would have more time to
         | engage in meaningful interactions, fostering relationships, and
         | pursuing passions. But Carl also recognized potential
         | challenges. The blurring line between man and machine could
         | bring about questions of privacy, dependence, and even
         | identity.
         | 
         | "We are on the brink of an era where AI won't just assist but
         | will become an extension of ourselves," he thought. He
         | envisioned people discussing ideas with their AI, debating,
         | learning, and growing together. This AI wouldn't be just a
         | tool; it would be a partner.
         | 
         | However, Carl was also wary. Such power in the hands of a
         | device meant it would be a beacon for hackers and those with
         | malicious intent. Moreover, the ethical considerations of
         | creating an AI so deeply integrated into human life would be
         | immense.
         | 
         | Drawing a deep breath, Carl looked down at his own smartphone.
         | "A relic," he chuckled. "In a decade or two, we'll look at
         | these devices as we do now with rotary phones or fax machines."
         | 
         | He took a sip of his tea, now lukewarm. "It's an exciting
         | future," he whispered. "But one we need to step into with
         | caution and consciousness."
         | 
         | His assistant, a traditional machine, beeped, reminding him of
         | his next meeting. Carl smiled, looking forward to the day his
         | meetings would be scheduled, organized, and even anticipated by
         | an AI that truly understood him.
        
           | mysterydip wrote:
           | > looking forward to the day his meetings would be scheduled,
           | organized, and even anticipated by an AI that truly
           | understood him.
           | 
           | And then, knowing him so well, started attending the meetings
           | in his place. Soon, Carl was out of a job, the subject matter
           | expertise he brought to the company perfectly replicated and
           | queryable.
        
         | jimkoen wrote:
         | It's terrifying but exciting nonetheless. It feels like I'm
         | living during the times of Xerox Parc, with design studies like
         | the Alto showing off what's possible on bleeding edge,
         | stupendously expensive one-off hardware.
        
           | ramesh31 wrote:
           | >It feels like I'm living during the times of Xerox Parc,
           | with design studies like the Alto showing off what's possible
           | on bleeding edge, stupendously expensive one-off hardware.
           | 
           | Except with the added benefit that all of the complexity now
           | lies in software, rather than hardware. We've achieved what
           | they set out to do with AI beyond their wildest dreams, and
           | you can run it locally on a tablet sized device. No crazy
           | hardware required.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | tpmx wrote:
       | I'm imagining a very elaborate microphone/speaker/camera/display
       | device. Outer shell made using some exotic new ceramics process
       | because glass, aluminum and titanium are all so 2023. Will never
       | be mass-produced.
       | 
       | Or textile. I could imagine them going for something cuddly to
       | balance out that creepy AI vibe.
        
       | tonetheman wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | lifechoseme123 wrote:
       | I'm with Ted K. on this one.
       | 
       | CBDC -> No. Evil. To hell with evil.
       | 
       | AI + Altman -> No. Evil. To hell with evil.
        
       | dutchbrit wrote:
       | Had to think of Silicon Valley:
       | https://youtu.be/_GtF_zpJc_w?si=hgPEBLomzkpEA3ZW
        
       | mellosouls wrote:
       | This feels like a contemporary pop idol at the top of their game
       | releasing a record with one of their heroes who used to be
       | awesome 30 years ago.
       | 
       | Great for marketing, but not always so much for creative
       | brilliance.
        
         | noman-land wrote:
         | The Matchbox 20 and Santana song.
        
           | blangk wrote:
           | Man, it's a hot one
        
       | lyapunova wrote:
       | Why is it that tech brand names (including people like Altman)
       | have just become so cursed?
       | 
       | I feel like society at large is tired.
       | 
       | Everyone buys the thing but basically does it because it's
       | required to continue to play the game - not because it brings
       | them joy.
        
         | noman-land wrote:
         | What game is it that is required? Opting out of bullshit social
         | pressures is a step toward psychological freedom.
        
           | hashtag-til wrote:
           | Refreshing to see comment like this.
           | 
           | Pro tip: ditch also Twitter/X, Insta, Facebook, TikTok and
           | all that crap.
        
         | bombcar wrote:
         | Because everything is promised as the next iPhone or whatever,
         | but they all turn out to be Segways.
        
       | tactiledactyl wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | jmcphers wrote:
       | Prediction based on the history of these two luminaries of the
       | industry: a beautiful, featureless orb that uses AI to
       | autonomously scan your eyeballs and enroll you in crypto
       | scams[1].
       | 
       | [1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/scrutiny-iris-scanning-
       | cr...
        
         | Apocryphon wrote:
         | They're going to build the Nexus Q
        
       | anigbrowl wrote:
       | It will be a simple sphere - an orb, if you will - and by simply
       | waving one's hands around it in a mysterious yet compelling
       | fashion, wondrous visions will appear. Comes with a purple velvet
       | tablecloth.
        
         | simondotau wrote:
         | Signs point to yes.
        
       | cs702 wrote:
       | Whatever it turns out to be, it will surely be competition for
       | Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
       | 
       | I'd call it the OpenAI Genie.
        
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       (page generated 2023-09-27 23:00 UTC)