Get Ready for the Arrival of AI Tamagotchis!
While AI has made significant strides on smartphones and computers, it has struggled to find its footing in dedicated devices. However, in the coming year, two prominent AI players are set to change that landscape. Meta and OpenAI are both exploring the potential of physical hardware alongside their charming software agents.
The tech industry often reminds us that “hardware is hard.” Devices like the Friend and Humane AI Pin have mostly drawn frustration and criticism, a sentiment that may intensify as public sentiment towards AI shifts. Nevertheless, both Meta and OpenAI are pressing forward. OpenAI is collaborating with renowned ex-Apple designer Jony Ive, with plans to release their hardware no earlier than February 2027, according to a public filing. Meanwhile, Meta is aiming for a quicker launch, targeting a pendant-like device before the holiday shopping season this year.
Although OpenAI’s hardware didn’t make an appearance at this year’s DevDay, the company introduced a new AI agent platform called Dots, featuring customizable colored blobs with eyes. During a Q&A session after the keynote, when asked if Dots might eventually be integrated into a physical device, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggested that it was a reasonable assumption, though he withheld further details.
On the other hand, Meta is directly linking its hardware to the recently unveiled Muse agent. CEO Mark Zuckerberg likened the device to a keychain, naming it the Muse Charm, which includes a screen displaying its adorable Muse AI agent, reminiscent of a Tamagotchi. “We’ve packed a lot of technology into this little guy,” Zuckerberg stated on stage. “So, if you’re not wearing glasses, this is going to be by far the fastest way to talk to your Muse and to show it what’s going on around you.”
Both OpenAI and Meta appear to have learned from the missteps of other companies in the hardware space. Their strategy seems to involve soft-launching AI agents before fully rolling out the hardware. By familiarizing users with AI agents, they hope to create a buzz that affirms their functionality. Once users find value in these engaging agents, they may desire a more tangible version. Other companies, like Friend, have adopted similar software-first approaches, but Friend primarily focused on being a companion chatbot rather than a productivity tool.
During the DevDay press Q&A, when asked if Dots would become the main interface for interacting with ChatGPT, Thibault Sottiaux, OpenAI’s head of core products, mentioned that the company is working on evolving ChatGPT into an exceptional personal assistant soon. He believes that as users can connect with their AI agents through email, text, or phone calls, the lines of interaction will eventually blur, making it a “natural part of your life.”
Altman is optimistic that Dots will prove more effective for long-term tasks than previous AI agents. “This feels like an always-on helper, collaborator … that you can give very large pieces of work to, and it gets to know you and helps proactively over time,” he remarked during the Tuesday press Q&A.
Both companies are betting that, after years of underwhelming AI agents, they can finally deliver a practical tool that resonates with a wider audience. However, with Muse’s troubling incidents in Facebook Marketplace and a Dots voice demo that faltered at DevDay, it seems there’s still some refining to be done.
