OpenAI's upcoming hardware family, including a smart speaker and glasses, will intentionally have no screens. This is a deliberate strategic choice to move beyond the screen-centric ecosystem dominated by Apple and Google. It represents a bet on a future where AI interaction is primarily ambient, powered by voice and computer vision rather than touchscreens.

As consumers become inundated with AI and digital experiences, a strong counter-trend is emerging. This creates venture-scale opportunities for companies focused on tangible hardware, 'dumb' phones, and real-world services that facilitate human connection offline, as demonstrated by Greylock's investment in a kids' landline.

Power users of AI agents believe the ideal user interface is not graphical but conversational. They prefer text-based interactions within existing chat apps and see voice as the ultimate endgame. The goal is an invisible assistant that operates autonomously and only prompts for input when absolutely necessary, making traditional UIs feel like friction.

The technical friction of setting up AI agents creates a market for dedicated hardware solutions that abstract away complexity, much like Sonos did for home audio, making powerful AI accessible to non-technical users.

Leaks about OpenAI's hardware team exploring a behind-the-ear device suggest a strategic interest in ambient computing. This moves beyond screen-based chatbots and points towards a future of always-on, integrated AI assistants that compete directly with audio wearables like Apple's AirPods.

A surprising power user group for the R1 is professional truck drivers. They need a hands-free, screen-free device for quick tasks while driving, and the R1's push-to-talk interface fits this need perfectly, unlike a distracting smartphone.

Current devices like phones and computers were designed before the advent of human-like AI and are not optimized for it. Figure's founder argues that this creates a massive opportunity for a new class of hardware, including language devices and humanoids, which will eventually replace today's dominant form factors.

Razer's Project Ava, a holographic AI that analyzes a user's screen in real-time, points to a new consumer hardware category beyond simple chatbots. The model, which features an expanding library of characters that evolve based on interactions, suggests a large potential market for personalized, dynamically adapting AI personas.

The immediate commercial opportunity in "Physical AI" lies in simple, dedicated hardware solving a niche problem. For example, Plaud, an AI-powered physical meeting recorder, allegedly generated $100 million in revenue targeting student note-taking, despite early versions being flawed.