Tony Fadell

Tony Fadell, the iPod co-creator and Nest founder, argues that the first generation of AI gadgets failed because they chased novelty rather than solving real problems, and says the next wave of devices will need clearer purpose and better integration with what people already use. His remarks come after a run of underwhelming AI hardware launches that struggled to win consumers over.

Tony Fadell, the iPod co-creator known as the 'father of the iPod', says the first generation of AI gadgets failed because they did not solve real problems for users. He argues the next wave of AI hardware will need to earn consumers' trust before it can succeed. His comments are drawing attention from the tech industry, which is weighing lessons from recent high-profile device flops.

Tony Fadell, the engineer behind the original iPod, argues that the first wave of dedicated AI gadgets has failed to win over consumers, and is outlining what he thinks the next generation of AI devices should look like. The comments feed into an ongoing debate about whether standalone AI hardware can compete with smartphones and existing assistants.