Why Nothing’s AI-native OS probably isn't what you think

Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced that the company secured a bit of funding yesterday, and the internet turned it into much more than that. I can't blame anyone, while not much was really said, a lot was implied in an attempt to build hype from a master of building hype. The plan worked exactly as intended.

There are a few "real" hints at Nothing's future in Pei's forum post. Nothing will have a new product this fall. Nothing was able to get a handful of companies that often make investments they know won't pan out to give him some money. Nothing has shipped "millions" of devices in four years. And Nothing knows it has to get on the AI train while it's the current trend. Pei hints that the company wants to do it a bit differently.

Pei never said he was building a new OS from the ground up, even if it sounds that way. He said, "The next chapter for Nothing, integrating an AI experience into our hardware devices to reinvent how technology amplifies us," and to me, that can only mean one thing: Nothing is going to try its hand at building its own AI suite rather than partnering with another company. Think Samsung, not Motorola.

Regardless, Android Central has reached out to Nothing for clarification on its plans and what its "AI OS" is, and will update this article when we hear back.

The hard truth

But the truth is, and I'll be blunt, if devices like the Rabbit R1 were what consumers wanted to buy, Apple and Samsung/Google would be making them. Even then, the Rabbit was just another Android presented in a way that didn't seem like an Android. Instead, Apple and Samsung are building AI into the OS one chunk at a time at a pace they can manage without breaking everything.

There's another truth to think about, especially when it comes to smartphones. You have two options outside of China: Android or the graveyard where good things go once they have died. Look for the webOS or Windows Phone logos on the tombstones to know you've found it. People do not want something that doesn't offer at least as much as what they are used to having. When it comes to a phone, that means a million apps and the infrastructure to keep adding more features.

Pei and every other CEO in the mobile business know this. I don't know what Nothing's AI OS will be like, but I know it will likely be based on Android, with access to the Google suite of mobile services and the Play Store. What I'm hoping to see are products that "talk" and "learn" from each other.

The vision

Imagine having a Nothing AI OS account and using it for several devices like your phone, your headphones, a tablet, or anything "smart." What you do on one device can affect what happens on the others without you making any decisions if they are tied together well. It could need to be incredibly intrusive when it comes to your privacy, but whoever does it the right way first will be ahead of the game once everyone else figures it out.

I think this is what Nothing is shooting for: an Android-powered OS on every device it sells, from smartphones to smart glasses, with AI and smarts baked in so that it all works together. It's the same thing Samsung, Google, Apple, Xiaomi, and everyone else are working towards. Nothing is small enough, maneuverable enough, and bold enough to go for it where other companies must be more cautious.

Nothing isn't likely to make the next Rabbit R1 or Humane AI Pin, and probably has no plans to try it. Nothing wants to make the next Pixel 10 in a way that works better with the Pixel 10 version of a watch or earbuds. Smart devices being smarter together would be the next breakthrough we keep hearing about.