Current computers not designed for AI, says Sam Altman, reversing stance on AI hardware

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman noted in a podcast recently that current computers are not designed for a world of artificial intelligence (AI), a sharp reversal of stance from his previous comment that artificial general intelligence (AGI) will not require new hardware.

In a podcast with his brother Jack Altman, Sam said current hardware is not able to keep up with changing and increasing AI demands. “Now, we’re in a different world, and what you want out of hardware and software is changing quite rapidly," he said.

These comments challenge the longstanding belief endorsed by Altman last year that AI advances only need software, and not any new hardware.


Sam had said smartphones are "extraordinarily more than capable" but he had indicated that users will be happy with a new device anyway.

The OpenAI chief has been discussing plans for a purpose-built AI companion device for some time now. The Verge reported that it would be pocket-sized, screen-free, and aware of its surroundings, not a wearable. This is where OpenAI's collaboration with Apple's former design chief Jony Ive comes in. This new form factor will be positioned as a third category of hardware, distinct from phones or laptops.

Sam has also confirmed in interviews and court filings that the ChatGPT maker is building AI-specific hardware and potentially even custom chips, a major move away from off-the-shelf servers and GPUs.

The budding partnership between Altman and Ive to develop the new product hit a legal snag in June after a federal judge ruled they must temporarily stop marketing the new venture.

OpenAI had announced in May it that was buying io Products, a product and engineering company cofounded by Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion. But it quickly faced a trademark complaint from a startup with a similar sounding name, IYO. The startup is also developing AI hardware, which it had pitched to Altman's personal investment firm and Ive's design firm in 2022.