Why Your Next AI Assistant Might Actually Be Useful
Forget the failed AI gadgets—here's what will make you trust one.
Tony Fadell, known as the father of the iPod and co-creator of the iPhone, recently explained why the first wave of AI gadgets—like the Rabbit R1, Humane Ai pin, and Limitless pendant—flopped. He said these devices were just "interesting technology for geeks" that didn't meet any real need. Most people have never had a personal assistant, so they don't even know what one would do for them. Fadell points out that trust is a huge barrier: you wouldn't give a new human assistant your bank login on day one, so why would you trust an AI with your sensitive data?
Security is a major concern. Meta's new AI assistant, Muse, had a serious vulnerability found right after launch, and employees reportedly rushed to fix issues before it shipped. Fadell believes only Apple—maybe one other company—has the hardware, chips, and consumer trust to pull off a truly useful AI assistant. Apple already gets people to share biometric data through Face ID, but it lacks a world-class AI model of its own; the new Siri runs on custom Google Gemini.
Fadell predicts that a successful AI agent will have to work entirely on your device, not in the cloud, for privacy and speed. He dismisses the idea that data centers will dominate, noting that devices are already powerful and battery-operated. Companies like Meta and OpenAI are turning to gadgets because they don't have access to the sensors on your phone like Apple does. So the next big AI assistant might come from Apple, but it needs to catch up on AI first.
- Early AI gadgets failed because they didn't solve real problems and were hard to trust.
- Trust and security are crucial—you wouldn't give a new assistant your bank login right away.
- Apple might lead the next wave because it has the hardware and privacy reputation, but needs better AI.
Why It Matters
A trustworthy AI assistant could save you time and handle tasks, but only if it keeps your data safe.