The AI Tamagotchis are coming
Meta and OpenAI plan to release dedicated AI hardware devices over the next year, according to The Verge, as both companies test consumer appetite for physical products built around their software agents.
The report notes that dedicated AI devices to date, such as the Friend and the Humane AI Pin, have drawn mostly frustration and backlash. The Verge adds that public anger toward AI may worsen.
OpenAI is working with former Apple designer Jony Ive, according to the report. The Verge also referenced Sam Altman appearing onstage at OpenAI's DevDay 2026.
The report was published in The Verge's AI section, with a photo credited to Hayden Field of The Verge. The excerpt ends mid-sentence; further details were not available.
Based on reporting from the original publisher. Visit the source for full context and later updates.
Publisher excerpt
While AI has made plenty of inroads on people's phones and computers, it's largely failed in dedicated devices. But over the next year, two major AI companies, Meta and OpenAI, will attempt to change that. And they're apparently betting on a similar path: testing appetite for physical hardware with their cutesy software agents. "Hardware is […]