There’s a clock that tells time by formulating poetry. All thanks to Artificial Intelligence. It’s called Poem/1 and draws inspiration from the now obsolete table clocks and radio clocks of the past. Behind this object lies technology crafted by OpenAI, utilizing ChatGPT to compose the poems and aphorisms destined to indicate the time to us every minute of the day. One of my favorite examples is «The clock strikes one-thirty-eight, / Afternoon sun shines bright with fate.» Nothing overly lyrical, a simplicity that we also see reflected in the design conceived by Matt Webb.

The e-paper screen reminds us of the classic Kindle and adds a certain neutrality that gives this clock a decidedly minimalist tone. The design—created with CAD and 3D printed—originated from an idea by Matt Webb, the founder of Acts Not Facts. It was he who went live on Kickstarter to secure funding. Here you can find many project specifications, from inception to realization.

Poem/1 blends AI capabilities with a touch of creativity. The idea of a clock that narrates the time reminds me a lot of QLOCKTWO, a German project that conceived of a frame to hang (or lean) that explicitly states the time in a direct sentence. In short, all ideas that play with clock numbers and words. Webb’s project remains more homemade but—by incorporating AI capabilities—shows us a glimpse of what the future of design in the era of Artificial Intelligence could be. In short, a simple idea designed to play with words and the functionalities of ChatGPT.