OpenAI's mysterious hardware project with Jony Ive could be an AI pen called Gumdrop

OpenAI's mysterious hardware project could be a... pen?

You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below. The tweet is light on specifics, but taken at face value, it's not terribly hard to imagine a pen-style device with AI integration allowing handwritten notes to be transcribed directly to (in this case) ChatGPT. If the same gadget is also an "audio device," as tipster Smart Pikachu says, it could potentially provide two-way communication with ChatGPT via a paired smartphone or other device. The OpenAI project is internally referred to as Gumdrop, the tweet says. The device was initially planned to be built by Chinese electronics manufacturer Luxshare, but a "dispute" over manufacturing location has evidently pushed OpenAI to consider Foxconn for the job. Smart Pikachu says the device is on track to be built in Vietnam, though "discussions include potential" for Gumdrop to be built at a US Foxconn site (the company operates plants in Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Indiana).

OpenAI's mysterious ChatGPT gadget could take the form of an AI-powered pen

We know that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on an actual gadget of some description - with ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive, no less - and the latest rumor is that the device is going to take the form of a pen. This comes from well-known tipster Smart Pikachu (via Android Authority), who says that a pen is one of three different ideas under consideration at the moment, as OpenAI makes arrangements with manufacturing partners. Of course as well as being able to scribble notes, this pen should also be able to give you some kind of AI assistance: perhaps by recording your writing and your voice notes, for example (we have seen multiple smart pens in the past). All the indications are that whatever this gadget ends up being, it'll have some form of always-on listening feature, with ChatGPT available to make sense of your memos and discussions, and give you answers on demand whenever you need them. We don't get much more information about what's coming from this particular leak, although the tipster does mention that the internal codename for the device is Gumdrop, apparently - so make of that what you will. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has gone on record as saying that the device should feel like a "cabin by a lake". That certainly suggests something with a calmer vibe than a smartphone, and something that mostly works in the background. Previous leaks have backed up Smart Pikachu's assertion that several different devices are being worked on, though it remains to be seen how many of them will actually be launched. A wearable pin and a smart speaker have been mentioned, for example. Standalone AI devices like the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1 haven't fared too well in the past, though we also know that Google and Amazon are busy pushing upgraded AI assistants to their smart displays and smart speakers.

OpenAI and Jony Ive's upcoming AI hardware could be a pen: Here's what we know

We already know that OpenAI is working with former Apple designer Jony Ive on an AI-powered hardware device, and while the project has been very secretive so far, a new leak gives us a clearer idea of what this device might be. According to the latest information, the product could be an AI-powered pen. The information comes from tipster Smart Pikachu. On X, the tipster claims that OpenAI and Ive's upcoming gadget will likely be manufactured by Foxconn, the same company that builds iPhones. As for the device itself, the tipster says it could be a pen or "a 'to-go' audio device." While details are limited, this opens the door to some interesting possibilities. A pen-style gadget could allow users to write notes by hand and have them instantly turned into digital text using AI. Those notes could then be sent directly to ChatGPT for summarising or editing. Also read: Apple iPhone 17 Pro price drops by over Rs 14,000: How to get this deal Internally, the project is said to be called "Gumdrop." It was reportedly originally planned to be built by Luxshare. However, a disagreement over where the device should be made appears to have changed those plans. I think that the idea of dedicated AI hardware is still risky. Recent products like the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin failed to impress reviewers and buyers, mainly because they did not offer enough value compared to smartphones. Also read: Oppo Find X9s leaks: Launch timeline, camera, battery, processor and other details At OpenAI's developer conference in San Francisco earlier this year, CEO Sam Altman and Ive talked about their new line of AI-powered devices. The pair spoke about the "family of devices" they were developing. Ive said that the goal is to make devices that can "make us happy, and fulfilled, and more peaceful, and less anxious, and less disconnected."