Apple’s AI-Powered Robot Arm with a Personality Could Soon Join Your Living Room

Apple is reportedly working on a new generation of AI-powered home devices, including a tabletop robot arm equipped with a screen and a personable AI assistant, potentially arriving as early as 2027. The concept, described by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, envisions a sleek, iPad mini-sized display mounted on a robotic arm that can extend and move to interact with users in a more dynamic way. Dubbed “Apple Intelligence on a stick” by some observers, the device would go beyond traditional smart speakers by offering visual feedback and contextual awareness. The AI at the core of the robot is expected to have a distinct personality—possibly represented by a cartoonish face drawn from either the classic Mac Finder logo or a Memoji-style avatar. Apple has tested multiple versions of Siri’s visual identity, aiming for a character that feels playful and approachable, more akin to Pixar’s Luxo Jr. than the emotionally intense AI from the film Her. The goal is to create a sense of presence and natural interaction. Apple’s research paper on a prototype system called ELEGNT shows how the AI could follow users around a room, track their movements, and respond with subtle, context-aware behaviors. Instead of simply stating “The weather is sunny,” the robot might glance out the window, turn back, and say, “It’s sunny out, but there’s a chance of rain later.” This level of environmental awareness and gentle interactivity could make the AI feel less like a tool and more like a helpful companion. Before the full robot arrives, Apple plans to roll out a more modest version—a wall-mountable smart display with a screen and voice assistant, likely running on a new operating system codenamed Charismatic. This device would function like a HomePod with a display, supporting video calls via FaceTime, calendar access, music playback, and smart home controls. It would lack the full conversational AI of the robot but would serve as a stepping stone toward Apple’s broader vision. The company is also reportedly exploring humanoid robots and rolling platforms, similar to Samsung’s Ballie or TCL’s AiMe, though these remain in early prototype stages. Still, the focus is clearly shifting toward physical AI agents that can move, observe, and respond in real time. However, the success of these ambitious plans hinges on Apple’s ability to fix its current AI shortcomings. The recent rollout of Apple Intelligence, including the revamped Siri, has been plagued by delays and performance issues. Apple is still developing a new version of Siri powered by large language models—internally called “LLM Siri”—which may launch as early as spring next year. Whether Apple builds these models in-house or partners with external providers like Anthropic remains unclear. Until Siri can reliably understand context, handle complex queries, and deliver consistent performance, the idea of a robot arm joining your conversations may feel more like a gimmick than a breakthrough. But if Apple can deliver a functional, intuitive, and genuinely helpful AI experience, the future of home technology might just be on a stick.