OpenAI’s secret device plans

Tuesday’s AI Report

• 1. 🤫 OpenAI’s secret device plans
• 2. 💹 Invest in the next big smart home startup with Ryse
• 3. 🚗 Robotaxi Waymo’s privacy policy leak
• 4. 🚨 AI replacing Shopify workforce?
• 5. 🔒 Protect your info online with Incogni
• 6. ⚙️ Trending AI Tools
• 7. 🏗️ Practical AI Applications
• 8. 📑 Recommended Resources

Read Time: 5 minutes

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OpenAI’s secret device plans

🚨 Our Report 

OpenAI is reportedly considering acquiring AI hardware start-up, io Products—which was founded by ex-Apple design-lead, Jony Ives (who designed the iPhone and iPad), and OepnAI CEO, Sam Altman, last September—for $500M.

🔓 Key Points

• As part of the deal (which could turn into a partnership, rather than an acquisition), OpenAI would also acquire the start-up’s team of engineers, which includes former Apple designers, Tang Tan and Evans Hankey.

• io Products has allegedly been developing an AI-powered, screenless mobile device that will be, according to Ives, “less socially disruptive than the iPhone,” alongside “AI-enabled household devices.”

• Although no real specifics about the devices have been revealed, io Products managed to secure around $1B worth of funding last year from major investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs (the widow of Steve Jobs).

🔐 Relevance 

This potential acquisition (or partnership) would allow OpenAI to venture into AI-powered devices and smart home hardware, which would help strengthen its competitive position against Apple.

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🚨 Our Report

The self-driving robotaxi/car firm, Waymo, has denied accusations that it plans to use the data captured from its robotaxi interior cameras to train its AI models and personalize ads.

🔓 Key Points

• The accusations came after a draft privacy policy was found, stating that Waymo would use data from its robotaxis—including interior camera video footage—to identify riders, train AI models, and sell personalized ads.

• The draft version did give customers the ability to ‘opt-out’ of sharing their “personal information with third parties unless it’s necessary to the functioning of the service,” which is in line with California’s privacy laws.

• Waymo has since established that the unreleased policy “contains placeholder text” and its ML systems can’t “use data to identify individuals,” confirming there ”are no plans to use data for targeted ads.”

🔐 Relevance

Although Waymo has denied it ever intended to collect user data to train AI models and sell targetted ads to unsuspecting riders, the company is owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, leaving many suspicious that, before it was exposed, it was perhaps planning to share its data with Google or DeepMind, to help them train its AI models and sell more ads on its search platform. 

• Shopify’s CEO has asked employees to show “why they can’t get what they want done, using AI” before they ask for “more headcount and resources,” establishing that AI is “a fundamental expectation of Shopify.”

• This strong stance is likely to trigger some backlash as concerns that AI is replacing jobs are continuing to escalate, especially as new reports suggesting that AI could disrupt over 40% of jobs, globally, emerge.

• The shopping platform, Klarna, also has an AI chatbot that does the work of 700 customer service agents and it believes its workforce will be halved, as a result.

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PODCASTS

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QUICK HITS

• Meta denies boosting Llama 4’s benchmark scores

• IBM continues its AI consultancy push with acquisition 

• Google paying AI staff to do nothing rather than join rivals

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