Sam Altman wants his AI device to feel like 'sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake,' but it sounds more like endless surveillance

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, confirmed this week that the company is building a brand‑new AI‑first device. He says it will stand in stark contrast to the clutter and chaos of our phones and apps. Indeed, he compared using it to “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake and in the mountains and sort of just enjoying the peace and calm.” But understanding you in context and analyzing your habits, moods, and routines feels more intimate than most people get with their loved ones, let alone a piece of hardware.

His framing obscures a very different reality. A device designed to monitor your life constantly, to collect details about where you are, what you do, how you speak, and more sounds suffocating. Having an electronic observer absorb every nuance of your behavior and adapt itself to your life might sound okay, until ...