Apple’s legendary designer Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed new details about their secret AI hardware project during an onstage interview with Laurene Powell Jobs at Emerson Collective’s Demo Day.

Axar.az, citing Axios, reports that Ive confirmed that the first device, already in prototype form, will be unveiled in under two years, slightly earlier than originally announced.

Altman and Ive described the device as elegantly simple, playful, and intentionally minimalistic. Ive said he aims to create a product that feels instinctive, joyful, and almost “naive” in its simplicity.

Altman added that the design has been stripped down to only what’s essential, allowing AI capabilities to do the heavy lifting. He joked that they knew they had the right prototype when he felt an urge to “take a bite out of it,” reflecting Ive’s philosophy that great design should evoke delight.

Both emphasized that the device is intended to make people smile, not just help them work efficiently. Behind the scenes, they have been exploring what it means to build an object that could eventually “know everything” a user thinks, reads, or says. Early prototypes are now in hand, with the first consumer product expected before 2026.