- Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber says current AI devices are “solutions looking for a problem that doesn’t exist”
- Reddit users largely agree, criticizing AI hardware as too expensive, unnecessary, and slower than using a phone.
- Could Jony Ive’s collaboration with OpenAI change people’s minds?
Startups around the world are trying to create the next big hardware product that sees the iPhoneification of a dedicated AI device.
We’ve seen plenty of failed attempts from the Rabbit R1 to the Humane Pin, and now Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber has chimed in by saying, “What exists is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist.”
With 2026 on the horizon and the imminent reveal of the product that legendary Apple designer Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are working on, will this new device change Faber’s mind? Or is he just saying what the rest of us are thinking?
AI hardware hasn’t sparked any interest yet
In his interview with Bloomberg, Faber, who took over as CEO of Logitech two years ago, said, “The company is a strong supporter of AI,” but its goal is to find smart uses for the technology in its class-leading peripherals rather than a dedicated device itself.
Recently, Logitech released the MX Master 4, an update to the world’s most popular computer mouse, and the new version offers a shortcut to ChatGPT or Copilot. That said, it’s a thoughtful inclusion of AI, rather than forcibly adding the software just to promote the current marketing buzzword.
Faber’s point is simple: AI has been brilliant for software and accessories, and Logitech has happily used it to create smarter mice and keyboards. But building entire pieces of hardware solely around AI seems like a stretch.
It’s not that the technology isn’t impressive; It’s that no one has convincingly explained why you need a standalone AI device in your pocket when your phone already does most of the work without the subscription fees or experimental interfaces.
Consumers seem to agree
You don’t have to look far to find online reviews of AI-dedicated devices. In fact, I’d love to see sales figures for popular offerings like the Rabbit R1 or Humane Pin, considering they essentially collapsed upon release.
In a Reddit thread sharing Faber’s interview with Bloomberg, users shared their opinions on AI hardware and it’s fair to say that the Logitech CEO is expressing the consensus of the average consumer.
One user said: “Money looking for more money,” which perfectly sums up the sentiment. Another joked: “I have 99 problems and the AI has 1,000 of them.” While the top-voted comment came from someone who said that voice interaction is still a terrible interface and that no amount of AI magic can fix the fact that talking to devices can be slower and clunkier than touching a screen.
Faber doesn’t rule out AI entirely; She’s saying it’s not the right time. The value is still unclear, and until someone builds an AI device that does something your phone can’t do faster, cheaper, and without a learning curve, people will continue to ask why these products exist.
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