OpenAI’s first artist-in-residence is launching a company that uses AI to turn your thoughts into real products you can hold. Alexander Reben announced Phyzify, which promises to bridge the gap between having an idea and actually making it happen.
Reben isn’t just talking about 3D printing your sketches. His vision is much bigger – AI that handles everything from the first spark of creativity to the final product on your shelf. Think turning your favorite song into a painting you could sell, or having AI file patents and trademarks for your inventions.
From Disney Character to AI Products
Reben has been mixing art and technology for over a decade. At MIT, he created a robot called Boxie that actually inspired Disney’s Baymax character in Big Hero 6. After years of making AI art that grabbed headlines, OpenAI brought him in as their first artist-in-residence in 2024.
Now he’s taking everything he learned about AI’s creative potential and turning it into a business. Phyzify just closed funding led by Logan Kilpatrick from Google’s AI team, who thinks 2026 will be huge for physical AI products.
The company wants to handle all the boring stuff that kills good ideas – securing domain names, filing paperwork, managing production. Reben believes AI and robotics will make the jump from imagination to reality much faster and easier than ever before.
