Humane, a company founded by former Apple execs, launched the Ai Pin in late 2023. It was a wearable device built around AI, with voice interaction as the main way to control it. io, another company founded by former Apple execs, is expected to launch an AI-centric companion device in late 2026 that will run ChatGPT natively, also relying primarily on voice interaction.
We don’t have images of the first ChatGPT io device yet, and it might be a while before a prototype leaks, but reports have already surfaced. Based on what we’ve heard, the device sounds like another Ai Pin-style product. It won’t attach to clothing, but it might be worn around the neck so ChatGPT can monitor your surroundings.
Humane’s dream unraveled quickly. HP bought the company for $116 million in early 2025, far less than the venture funding Humane had raised before launching the Ai Pin. The product flopped, and people returned it in droves. Those who didn’t return it found their devices stopped working after HP took over.
While the first ChatGPT io device might resemble the Humane Ai Pin, it’s unlikely to share its fate. I’m genuinely excited for what’s coming.
What the screenless ChatGPT companion device will have to offer
Sam Altman called the io ChatGPT prototype that Jony Ive gave him “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.” Of course he would say that. He wants OpenAI to sell 100 million ChatGPT companions, so he needs all the hype he can get.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal and insider Ming-Chi Kuo offer clues about this AI-first device. It won’t be a wearable like smart glasses or clip onto clothes like the Ai Pin. Instead, it’s a screenless gadget that resembles the iPod nano.
Kuo said the io ChatGPT device is slightly larger than an Ai Pin, but still compact and elegant like the iPod Shuffle. It might be worn around the neck while out and about, though it’s not intended to replace your primary gadgets.
OpenAI sees it as the third core product you carry, after a MacBook Pro and iPhone.
In an internal meeting, Altman said that the ChatGPT device will be aware of the user’s surroundings and daily life. It’ll have a microphone, a speaker, and at least one camera, giving the AI the senses it needs. It’ll likely connect to your phone and computer, with the ChatGPT app acting as the bridge to the cloud where the AI resides.
All of this was true for the Humane Ai Pin, too. The difference? That device needed its own cellular plan and used a projector to create a virtual display and keyboard on your hand, which proved clunky.
While the two products share a similar vision, the upcoming io device stands a better chance of success.
The big Apple team
Unlike Humane, which raised under $350 million, io has major backing. OpenAI bought io for $6.5 billion, bringing Jony Ive & Co. directly into its fold. OpenAI believes the acquisition could add $1 trillion in value to the company.
Owning io means OpenAI can pour billions into hardware R&D, with investors still eager to fund ChatGPT’s development. Humane never had access to that kind of capital. And OpenAI isn’t stopping at one gadget. This is just the beginning of a full AI device lineup.
The team behind io is no mystery. We already know who’s shaping the ChatGPT companion and future devices.
Jony Ive co-founded io with several former Apple execs: Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan. Hankey succeeded Ive as Apple’s design chief before leaving in 2023. Tan, who led iPhone and Apple Watch design, exited in 2024.
LoveFrom, another Ive venture, also includes former Apple designers like Bas Ording, Mike Matas, and Chris Wilson, who worked on Mac and iPhone software.
These team details come from Bloomberg’s report on the OpenAI-io partnership.
Meanwhile, Humane was started by former Apple couple Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, both of whom worked on key Apple OS features. The company also hired other Apple alumni.
But the comparison ends there. io and LoveFrom bring decades of experience crafting premium products people actually want. I have no doubt the io hardware will far surpass the Ai Pin.
Then there’s the software…
The AI
Ive’s teams will include software engineers with experience on beloved Apple products, but the real star of the io ChatGPT device will be ChatGPT itself. That’s where OpenAI comes in. ChatGPT remains the most popular and widely discussed AI, even as Google’s Gemini improves.
Again, there’s no real comparison. Humane had a solid vision but lacked the firepower to bring it to life. OpenAI doesn’t have that problem. ChatGPT may occasionally be slow or go offline, but it’s mostly reliable.
More importantly, OpenAI is packing ChatGPT with new features to make it a top-tier virtual assistant.
OpenAI is spending billions to develop smarter models and support its growing user base before it even turns a profit. You can bet it’ll invest heavily to make sure the io device just works.
Humane never had that luxury. If it did, the Ai Pin might still be around, with improved hardware and software updates to match.
I’m not saying the io ChatGPT companion will be an instant hit. But it stands a much better shot at success than the Ai Pin ever did. And the fact that so many ex-Apple heavyweights are behind it only boosts my confidence in the product.
The post First ChatGPT device is like Humane’s Ai Pin, but without being doomed appeared first on BGR.
