OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with 50 Samsung executives in South Korea at the end of October, and more information from the Q&A that followed the meeting has surfaced revealing his vision of an AI device that ‘will be the next version of the smartphone.’
AI device vision
Altman told Samsung executives he wants a device ‘that is as unobtrusive as possible, with AI — not apps — proactively accessing and managing our physical and virtual lives. […] Next-generation devices will bring in information from the physical world.’ He framed the idea as a shift in user experience more than a specific form factor.
Collaboration with Samsung
Altman also reportedly said, ‘I’d like to work closely with Samsung to build a joint device.’ It is unclear what shape such a device would take — a smart speaker, a wearable pin, or something else entirely — and the full scope of the original meeting remains unknown.
A few attempts at portable devices based on AI agents rather than traditional apps have been released in recent years by other companies. Examples mentioned include the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, which followed a similar vision but, according to the report, fell short of their promises. Whether Samsung was convinced by Altman’s presentation is not known.
