Joe Gebbia, the cofounder of Airbnb and the U.S. Chief Design Officer, was recently spotted at a coffee shop in San Francisco using a strikingly unusual metallic device. This sighting took place amidst a social media buzz after a post featuring a man resembling Gebbia went viral, garnering over 500,000 views. In the video, he is seen relaxed with an espresso while wearing what appears to be metallic earbuds and a matching clamshell-shaped disc on the counter.
The earbuds and disc have drawn parallels to a device featured in a previously circulated hoax advertisement involving OpenAI’s hardware, a partnership with renowned designer Jony Ive. OpenAI has not confirmed any association with the device in Gebbia’s video, nor did Gebbia respond to inquiries for clarification.
Interestingly, the earbuds resemble the Huawei FreeClip 2 but are notably distinct from Huawei’s recent offerings, raising eyebrows given the U.S. government’s stance on Huawei’s technology. Experts speculate that Gebbia might be using a prototype device, possibly from a startup or tech giant developing generative AI hardware.
The situation has sparked theories among social media users, with some suggesting this could be a precursor to a product launch by OpenAI, as anticipation has been building since May last year, when Ive announced plans for AI-powered devices with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
As speculation continues, it’s equally plausible that Gebbia is simply enjoying a unique pair of headphones without any significant implications surrounding them. Nonetheless, the mystery surrounding this device has left many eager to learn more about its origin and purpose.
