What is in the OpenAi io appliance?
Cette publication existe aussi en Français
The $6.5bn acquisition of io, founded by British iPhone designer Jony Ive, by OpenAI has opened the door on portable AI technology.
The startup has already developed a prototype that capture the imagination of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Details of the AI companion are sparse, but Ive has said this is not intended to replace the smartphone, but a screenless device to sit alongside on the desktop.
Altman is right when he says this is an extraordinary moment. “What it means to use technology can change in a profound way. I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago,” he said.
Io has a staff of around 55 who all join openAI, apart from Ive. Many are former Apple designers, which gives a sense of the ambition. But this comes after the high profile collapse of other AI companion devices, notable the Humane pin and the Rabbit R1. Another companion device, Limitless, taps into the smartphone to provide AI transcripts of everyday conversations as an updated lifelog. However the io appliance is likely to be significantly more sophisticated, given its heritage
- HP sets up AI labs with assets of Humane
- Is ARM really 40?
- Europe looks to the end of the mobile phone
All this points to a range of technology options, where Europe has some compelling solutions, not least the ARM architecture that Apple has driven over the years.
“I am reminded of a time, three decades ago, when I emigrated to America. As a designer, I was drawn to the exhilarating and innocent optimism of Silicon Valley, to collaborate with people driven to create amazing products that elevate humanity,” said Ive.
Being part of OpenAI, the expectation is that the io companion will run local reasoning AI agents.
The io companion will rely heavily on its microphone and wireless links to ear buds and to a terminal, whether that is a smart phone or smart glasses. Ive has ruled out the smart glasses form factor for the companion. This will drive battery technology and charging schemes in the same way as the iPod and iPhone.
Whether that requires an always on camera, with the additional power consumption and privacy concerns, is unlikely. Instead a directional microphone array with noise cancellation, a portable AI-enabled Echo device, will rely on real time microcontroller technology from XMOS in Bristol and sensitive MEMS microphones from Infineon Technologies in Germany or Knowles, now part of edge AI company Syntiant. The buds will also be key, with downloadable apps and an underlying operating system such as the CosmOS from Sonical, set up by another British engineer and using IP from Dolphin Design in France for its chips.
- XMOS supplies voice control for open source Home Assistant
- Sonical, XMOS tean for Headphone 3.0 dongle
But it is the underlying processing that will be key. OpenAI is already taping out a custom datacentre AI chip and the deal opens up that capability for the io appliance. OpenAI has the resources for a custom AI chip for a consumer design, and the ability to market millions of devices. Having a small team is not necessarily a block to developing a custom chip, as European design house Sondrel, now Aion Silicon, has developed consumer silicon and is now providing an end-to-end development process.
“Computers are now seeing, thinking and understanding,” said Altman. “Despite this unprecedented capability, our experience remains shaped by traditional products and interfaces.”
Having its own significant compute will be a key advantage. This avoids the 30% fee that is charged on transactions on the iPhone, and means OpenAI keeps its revenue from customers, and more importantly, the data. It can use the cellular connection through the iPhone to reduce the size, cost and weight of the companion by eliminating the need for a 5G modem and still provide over the air updates.
Whether the custom chip uses an ARM architecture depends on the fractious licensing scheme, but the key element for a portable AI chip will be the memory.
“Another area where memory power is becoming increasingly important is in devices like the OpenAI io product, which will offer ‘ambient computing’ and, it is expected, will interact via voice,” said Paul Wells, CEO of ultra-low power SRAM memory developer SureCore in the UK.
“Expectations are that they will be physically small. This challenging form factor and high computational workload is already stressing early product offerings, with some receiving criticism for overheating. As battery technology continues to lag, silicon technology developers are forced to address every aspect of system design. Memory is a critical element and the push to lower memory operating voltages, as well as both static and dynamic power demands, is going to be a crucial factor in enabling these new and exciting product innovations.”
The connectivity and power management will be key, and Nordic Semiconductor is a key supplier of both.
“Portable AI appliances require a combination of ultra-low-power processing and reliable wireless connectivity to enable efficient local decision-making at the edge,” said Nordic Semiconductor. “European companies, including Nordic Semiconductor, are at the forefront of this innovation, delivering globally leading solutions that make scalable, portable AI in the field a reality.
Other innovations such as the coming chipscale power management device from Nanopower in Norway will enable always on management of peripherals without the need to fire up that big central AI processor.
The battery technology will be well established lithium ion chemistry, but the slightly larger form factor than wearables opens up the convenience of wireless charging. Power technology from Infineon and STMicroelectronics are key from a European perspective but there are other options,
“Jony Ives and Sam Altman are both extraordinarily creative individuals, and their joining together will invariably create a much-anticipated great AI product. We don’t know what that product is, and speculation may fall short of what the great minds have in their heads,” said Alex Lidow, CEO of US gallium nitride pioneer Efficient Power Conversion (EPC).
“Nevertheless, if Jony’s past tendencies are an indication of a future AI-based consumer product, it will most probably not have any annoying cables for data or power. We will be ready with GaN-based wireless power solutions that can enable the consumer to be untethered in their enjoyment of what promises to be an exciting revelation.”
If you enjoyed this article, you will like the following ones: don't miss them by subscribing to :
