OpenAI's first hardware device is a screenless AI smart speaker launching in 2027

OpenAI's first hardware device is reportedly a screenless speaker that can move

OpenAI's first foray into hardware devices is reported to be a mobile smart speaker with integrated AI capabilities that can sync with ChatGPT and provide other home AI services. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the device -- which is still currently under development -- is designed to be screen-free and is being pitched internally as a "humanlike AI companion that lives in the home." OpenAI has long claimed that it wants to launch a hardware product -- with some rumors being that it wants to launch its own phone, a move that would put it in competition with Apple. The push comes as the tech world grows more excited about consumer AI hardware more broadly. Hark, an AI lab founded by Brett Adcock, raised an oversubscribed $700 million Series A back in May at a $6 billion valuation to build what it calls "personal intelligence" -- proprietary AI models paired with custom hardware designed as a "universal interface between humans and machines." The company hasn't yet detailed its device's form factor, underscoring how much capital is chasing this category even before products ship. OpenAI's newly surfaced device sounds like something of a departure from traditional smart speakers -- as sources described the device to Bloomberg as having a "personality" and being able to proactively learn about its owner over time, providing more personalized service. The machine would have access to a user's digital life, drawing off things like emails, sources said. The device is also weirdly described as involving "mechanical elements that can move on their own" and the Bloomberg report includes the detail that the device is designed to "feel like a companion and become a physical manifestation of OpenAI's ChatGPT." The device was developed with help from many former Apple engineers who were instrumental in "creating products such as the iPhone and Mac," Bloomberg writes. Indeed, OpenAI may be attempting to launch a new hardware line, but the company is currently up to its eyeballs in trouble over hardware-related legal problems. Apple last week sued OpenAI, accusing the AI company of stealing its trade secrets. Apple further claimed that the allegations involved in the suit are merely "the tip of the iceberg" and that more misconduct will be revealed during the legal discovery process. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing. Citing anonymous sources with knowledge of OpenAI's plans, Bloomberg writes that the company feels its new product "veers significantly from anything Apple has on the market today" and that it is "unlikely that it violates trade secrets" belonging to Apple.

OpenAI's Hardware Plans Have a Bigger Problem Than Apple's Lawsuit

OpenAI's plans to build and sell an AI device undeniably hit a bump in the road this month when Apple filed a lawsuit against the ChatGPT maker, alleging that former Apple employees stole trade secrets when they left Apple to join OpenAI. But if OpenAI isn't careful, it's going to have much bigger problems to deal with. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness, as the expression goes. But when does copying, a time-honored tradition among tech companies, cross the line? According to Apple's new lawsuit, that's happening now. Specifically naming Apple's former 24-year hardware chief Tang Tan and software engineer Chang Liu in the lawsuit, Apple claims OpenAI "wrongfully took Apple's secret and confidential information." The lawsuit alleges impropriety by these job-hoppers. But beyond those claimed contract violations, the underlying concern is that OpenAI will use Apple's secret sauce -- manufacturer contacts, specs, strategies -- when creating its own piece of AI hardware. One that, in a worst-case scenario for Apple, could eventually become a competitor to the iPhone. Apple's lawsuit is yet another problem on top of a mountain of them. In addition to proving it didn't steal from Apple, OpenAI already had a tough task: Prove whatever gadget it's made is safe, useful and worthy of our hard-earned cash. As we've seen so far with other AI devices, public reaction ranges from indifference to outrage. And OpenAI has staked a lot on the possibility of creating a tangible product. OpenAI's hardware ambitions OpenAI got serious about the idea of an AI device in 2025, accelerating its plans and public image with the acquisition of io Products, led by famed former Apple designer Jony Ive. With credentials like designing the iPhone, MacBook and Apple Watch, Ive's partnership with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman set the tone for what to expect. There's a good reason OpenAI seems to be recruiting former Apple employees to bolster its hardware research and development. From the Cupertino company's inception, founder Steve Jobs insistently and creatively blended form and function, creating an iconic style that prioritized user experience and simplicity. Apple's design style has helped the company revolutionize entire categories of technology, from the iPhone paving the way for smartphones to the first iPad as the first mainstream tablet. Reports from the beginning of Ive and OpenAI's partnership describe their ideal device as a kind of "third" gadget that can sit alongside your phone and computer. The most recent report of how that could shape up is a kind of portable, screen-free smart speaker with a "humanlike" personality. The screenless part seems important to Altman and Ive, coming up in multiple reports, with Ive reportedly wary of wearables like pins, watches and smart rings. There could be some other devices in the family, including a device rumored in January that's worn behind your ear so you can talk with ChatGPT. There may be at least one screen in the new family of products, with a May report describing an "AI agent phone," run by the autonomous bots that are increasingly relied upon for advanced AI tasks. Products like these are one form of physical AI, the devices that help us tangibly interact with AI. Many tech experts see the progress in the software part of AI as substantial enough to power new hardware forms, like robots, wearables and other designs. But at this point, it's hard to know if any OpenAI device will be meaningfully different from, say, an Amazon Echo or Google Home. OpenAI certainly doesn't have the shopping network and interconnected home ecosystem that Amazon and Google both have. So if OpenAI is building devices only for work tasks -- like the $230 limited edition Codex keypad -- are there enough hard-core AI users willing to shell out for these devices? For companies like OpenAI, which are building both the software and the hardware, the possibility of selling devices -- popular and well-priced, ideally -- could bring in some much-needed revenue as they continue to burn through billions of dollars on development. Way more than a $20 per month subscription for ChatGPT and finicky government contracts. And as the company continues to tease a future initial public offering, having more to offer than ChatGPT and Codex is a plus. The success of any AI device by OpenAI will fall almost entirely on the company's positioning of it, particularly around its usefulness, safety and, frankly, that elusive cool factor. You only have to look at the controversies and failures of other AI devices to see just how badly it can go -- and question whether we need another AI device at all. Our rocky relationship with AI devices The most well-known type of AI hardware right now is Meta's smart glasses. Meta is not the only one, but it's by far the industry leader in creating glasses that use VR/AR and AI tech. But they have already highlighted a lot of privacy and autonomy issues. Meta drew the ire of many folks this summer when it was reported that it was experimenting with adding facial recognition tech into its glasses. Then came a lawsuit alleging that Meta's Kenyan contractors can see everything you see through the glasses, including sensitive info and settings. Meta's response to these incidents did little to reassure people that they could easily understand when they were being recorded. The many eye-roll responses to Kylie Jenner's campaign for her special edition Meta glasses show that. And it's not like the Facebook parent company has a strong track record of protecting its users' privacy. Another AI device that's sparked backlash is the Friend AI pendant. This always-listening companion raised similar privacy concerns as Meta's smart glasses. Friend spent $1 million to blanket New York City in ads, which people quickly graffitied. They wrote sentiments like "Surveillance capitalism" and "Get real friends." There are other startups experimenting with AI hardware, like the Plaud AI pin and the Vocci AI smart ring. But they're a niche category of tech, not the kind of essential that smartphones and laptops have become over the past two decades. Maybe that will be the case in the future, but these early waves of backlash show that many of us in the general public aren't ready to fully integrate it into our lives. At the very least, they're PR disasters that are cooling any demand for consumer AI devices, if that demand ever existed at all. But if any company has the clout to bring this fledgling product category into the mainstream consciousness, it's going to be the same company that already did it with ChatGPT. Any AI device OpenAI comes out with will be judged against these previous ones. And with AI's already precarious reputation around privacy -- you really shouldn't be trusting AI with your private and sensitive info -- the policy and implementation of safeguards will be crucial.

OpenAI may announce a ChatGPT smart speaker this year

The company wants to release the gadget, its first major hardware device, in 2027. OpenAI's first device is set to be a smart speaker that lets you talk with ChatGPT, according to a report from Bloomberg. The device apparently won't have a screen, but will use a camera and additional sensors to "understand" your environment. The report comes just days after Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI that accused the AI company of stealing hardware secrets. OpenAI, in a new statement on Tuesday, said that it is "not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit." Sources tell Bloomberg that OpenAI's device will also feature a rechargeable battery that will allow users to carry it with them. It will offer smart home controls, along with the ability to play media, answer questions, and respond to messages. Bloomberg additionally says that the device will use GPT-Live, OpenAI's upgraded voice model announced last week. Bloomberg reports that the device will use "mechanical elements that can move on their own" in order to "connect on a humanlike level with users." In February, The Information reported on a similar device equipped with a camera that can recognize items or people nearby. The rumored speaker will launch in 2027 as part of OpenAI's plans for a bigger hardware lineup, which currently includes "roughly" five devices, according to Bloomberg. OpenAI is collaborating with former Apple designer Jony Ive on the new devices following its nearly $6.5 billion acquisition of his design company, io Products. OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has also been teasing a Codex gadget called the Codex Micro, made in partnership with Work Louder, that's scheduled to release on July 15th.

OpenAI's First Hardware Product Could Be a Portable AI Smart Speaker

OpenAI has been tight-lipped about the AI hardware it's building with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, but a new leak reveals their first product could be a smart home speaker. The speaker is reportedly designed to work as an AI companion at home. In addition to querying, the speaker could be used to control smart home appliances, play music, respond to messages, and support a range of other ChatGPT capabilities, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Sources describe the device as "mobile" and "screen-free," suggesting most operations would be voice-based. This would also make the rumored product a competitor to Alexa, Siri, and Gemini-based smart speakers from Amazon, Apple, and Google, respectively. OpenAI hopes to stand out by positioning its AI as an expert on matters and equipping it with a personality that can customize its responses and connect with the user on a human level, the report adds. The speaker is likely to use ChatGPT's new GPT-Live voice model. Barring any legal hurdles, OpenAI could unveil the device this year and begin shipping it to users in 2027, Bloomberg says. Apple has been rumored to be developing AI-powered smart home devices. Bloomberg's report arrives after the iPhone-maker sued OpenAI for allegedly stealing its trade secrets. The lawsuit claims that after acquiring Ive's io Products, OpenAI poached Apple employees or pressured them to divulge their work during job interviews The complaint primarily targets Tang Yew Tan and Chang Liu, two former Apple employees who have now joined OpenAI. Tan is OpenAI's current hardware chief, and he has been accused of conducting these interviews. Liu, meanwhile, has been accused of failing to return an Apple-issued laptop and exploiting a software bug to gain unauthorized access to Apple's systems. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag's parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

OpenAI Reportedly Eyeing Portable Speaker for Debut Device

Expertise I have more than 35 years' experience in journalism in the heart of Silicon Valley. OpenAI's entry into the world of consumer devices is expected to begin with the release of a portable smart speaker that lacks a screen, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday. The device is being positioned as "a new type of computer for the AI era," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported, adding that it would "serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home." The device, which Gurman wrote is still in development, is expected to operate in much the same way today's smart speakers do: answer questions, play media, operate smart-home appliances, as well as respond to messages and make use of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT. But OpenAI's device is expected to go a bit further into homes by offering a "personality" that would make a humanlike connection with users. It will include "mechanical elements that can move on their own, creating a sense that it is alive," Bloomberg reported. The product leak comes days after Apple sued OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing its trade secrets. Apple alleged it "uncovered a pattern of theft of Apple's trade secrets by OpenAI employees who were formerly at Apple." Apple also called the instances it uncovered "the tip of the iceberg." However, OpenAI feels its new product "veers significantly" from any Apple device currently on the market and that it is "unlikely" its new device violates any Apple trade secrets, according to anonymous sources described as knowledgeable of OpenAI's plans. There's been much speculation lately about OpenAI's hardware ambitions. The company has been linked to a possible release of AI earbuds later this year or early 2027 and is also said to be working on a smartphone in partnership with component-makers MediaTek, Qualcomm and Luxshare. OpenAI's hardware ambitions have included a high-profile partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive. One recent rumor was that the devices could include one worn in the ear, but that OpenAI could have as many as five different devices ready by the end of 2028. OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Smart speakers could help OpenAI lose even more money - Engadget

This past spring, former OpenAI executive Fidji Simo warned employees the company was at risk of missing its moment because it was "distracted by side quests," referring to costly software projects like Sora, which OpenAI shut down in April. This week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared an update on the company's nascent hardware efforts, writing that OpenAI's debut first-party device would be a "humanlike" rechargeable smart speaker. For an unprofitable company, this feels like the epitome of what Simo hoped to avoid. In 2026, the market for smart speakers and displays isn't growing. "In terms of the trend line, it's been slowing for quite some time, and we're expecting declines in the upcoming year," says Jitesh Ubrani, the director of worldwide device trackers at market research firm IDC. He declined to share specific numbers related to the size of the smart speaker market, but did say shipment volume in recent years has dwindled to "tens of millions units" following 2022 when the tech giants, led by Amazon, shipped more than 100 million devices. According to the firm's data, shipments declined by 16.3 percent year-over-year in 2023. The year after, they went down by another 11.8 percent. The introduction of Alexa+ in 2025 appears to have lessened the bleeding somewhat, but the market still contracted by 6.7 percent that year. By the end of this year, IDC estimates it will shrink another 9.6 percent before flatlining next year. In the US, Ubrani attributes the state of things to the fact most people aren't upgrading their smart speakers. "[If you're a consumer], there's really no need to refresh your device because the latest features are cloud-based, and so you can continue on with the same hardware," he says. "From a use case perspective, there's not a whole lot people are doing with these devices. They use them for music, podcasts, timers, those sorts of things. It's very simple compute." For OpenAI, Ubrani believes making a dent in the market will be difficult. "Creating the device is not hard, but getting it to reach any sort of mass scale, that's a lot more difficult to do because there are established players out there, and the category itself has not evolved a whole lot," he says. One major issue could be the price of the device itself. Bloomberg describes a smart speaker with a camera and sensors to help it understand its surroundings, as well as a rechargeable battery and "mechanical elements that can move on their own." That sounds a lot more complicated (and expensive) than say the humble Echo Dot. "Smart speakers for many years were a very low-cost device. We're talking about under $100, and those were the devices that sold the best," says Ubrani. "We've seen pricing move up, but no one views this as a premium category. Many people would balk at the idea of spending $300 for a speaker, and whoever enters the category has to have more affordable options available." According to Bloomberg, OpenAI "believes the product's defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users." The device will leverage the company's new GPT-Live-1 voice model, which is built on a duplex architecture, giving it the ability to simultaneously process inputs while generating an output. "This allows the model to engage in a more natural back-and-forth, maintain a better sense of time, and even perform live translations," OpenAI said of the tech recently. Amazon made a similar set of claims when it announced Alexa+ last year. Thanks to generative AI, the company said the new digital assistant could detect the user's tone and mood and adapt accordingly. It also offers contextual awareness, giving it the ability to "remember" earlier parts of a conversation. Despite those enhancements, Alexa+ doesn't appear to have moved the needle for Amazon. "Even after the introduction of the smarter AIs like Alexa+ and Gemini, we haven't seen a big change in the trajectory of the market," says Ubrani. It's also unclear if OpenAI can even make money off a smart speaker. Again, let's look at Amazon, the dominant player in the space. As of 2022, the company had failed to find a way to generate ongoing revenue from Alexa, according to a report Business Insider published that year. At the time, the company's Echo family of smart speakers were among the best-selling products on its marketplace, but Amazon sold most of those devices at cost and had failed to find a way to monetize interactions with Alexa. Per Business Insider, A major problem was that simple requests, like a command to play a music track or a question about the weather, represented the majority of what people were using Alexa for, and fulfilling those requests made little to no money for Amazon. During the first quarter of 2022, Amazon's Worldwide Digital unit, which included Alexa, Echo devices and Prime Video, reportedly had an operating loss of $3 billion, with the "vast majority" tied to the digital assistant. Things might have changed for Amazon since then, but other than announcing that 1 million people were using Alexa+ as of June 2025, the company hasn't shared many notable milestones since then. "I don't know if anyone makes money on the hardware or not," says Ubrani of the other major players in the market. "[Companies] primarily use these devices as a vehicle to their ecosystem." Despite those concerns, Ubrani says there is at least one way OpenAI's plan makes sense. "The industry as a whole agrees AI is the way forward, but AI can't just be locked in a browser. It has to understand the world around you to be truly helpful, and the only way a company like OpenAI can do that is if they have hardware," he says. "It has to start somewhere, and this is a way to start. It's also a way to enter the hardware market with the least amount of resistance." He points out building a smartphone or a pair of smart glasses would be more expensive due to the more complicated supply chains involved in both categories, as well as the cost of carrier certification for mobile devices. Still, Ubrani agrees making hardware is difficult, and there are recent examples of companies failing in the exact market OpenAI is attempting to enter. Most famously, Meta ended development of its Portal smart displays in 2022 in a move that saw it lay off 11,000 people at the same time. And it's worth repeating, OpenAI is not profitable. Leaked financial documents show the company lost $5.09 billion in 2024 and $38.5 billion in 2025, and OpenAI itself has said it doesn't expect to be profitable until at least 2030 due to surging AI costs. A smart speaker won't be what helps it turn the corner.

OpenAI's first Jony Ive device is a screen-free speaker built to feel alive

A camera, a battery, no display, and mechanical parts that move on their own. OpenAI does not call it a speaker. It calls it a home computer. OpenAI's consumer hardware push begins in the living room. The company's first device designed with Jony Ive is a mobile, screen-free smart speaker meant to sit in a home and behave like a humanlike companion, according to people familiar with the project who spoke to Bloomberg. It surfaced the day before OpenAI's actual first shipping hardware, a macro pad for Codex coders, reached customers. The distinction matters for anyone counting firsts. Codex Micro is a developer accessory built with the boutique keyboard maker Work Louder, while the speaker is the first consumer product out of io, the startup OpenAI bought from Ive for $6.5bn last year. Internally, OpenAI does not describe it as a speaker at all. It calls the product the first of its kind, a computer built for AI and aimed at making busy people more productive, one that controls smart-home appliances, plays media, answers questions, responds to messages, and reaches into the rest of ChatGPT. The defining feature is meant to be personality. The device carries mechanical elements that can move on their own, engineered to create the sense that it is alive rather than an object waiting to be addressed. It has a camera and other sensors to read its surroundings, and a rechargeable battery so it can be carried from the laundry room to the kitchen and later parked in a bedroom to play music. It will also draw on personal information such as emails to build a picture of whoever owns it. The pitch, in other words, is proactivity. OpenAI wants the thing to anticipate needs and volunteer information rather than wait to be asked, growing more personalised as it learns its owner. Voice is where the engineering shows. The speaker will run a more advanced version of GPT-Live, the voice mode OpenAI rolled out this month, which can listen and talk at the same time and adapt mid-conversation. The stock market read it as a category threat rather than a curiosity. Sonos fell more than 10% in late trading before paring the losses, while Apple slipped less than 1% to a low of $313.52. The io deal bought people as much as drawings. LoveFrom, Ive's studio, is helping craft the lineup, Evans Hankey, once Apple's head of industrial design, is leading development of the speaker, and OpenAI hired Vision Pro chief Paul Meade from Apple last month. Apple has noticed. It sued OpenAI on 10 July for trade-secret theft, accusing chief hardware officer Tang Tan, a former head of iPhone product design and an io co-founder, of leading a campaign to obtain confidential information about Apple's future products. The complaint counts more than 400 Apple staff who have since moved to OpenAI. OpenAI's position is that the speaker veers far enough from anything Apple currently sells that infringement is unlikely, and that it is not aware of any evidence the complaint has merit. Apple conceded in its filing that discovery would be needed to establish whether its technology is in fact being used. The exposure is not abstract. Apple is seeking an injunction on OpenAI's hardware, which could stall the company's ability to sell anything at all. Roughly five products are in development, with the speaker first. OpenAI is aiming to unveil it this year and release it in 2027, a schedule that now depends partly on a courtroom. Further out, the company wants a mobile device capable of replacing the smartphone. It has explored wearables including a pendant, and has shown interest in home robotics. Apple is building toward the same room. Its first AI home product, code-named J490, is a long-delayed command centre with a square seven-inch display, videoconferencing, facial recognition, and the rebuilt Siri arriving in iOS 27, and a version mounted on a robotic arm that repositions itself as you talk to it is also in the works. An OpenAI spokesperson declined to comment on the speaker.

OpenAI's first hardware device sounds half-speaker, half-robot

OpenAI reportedly plans to unveil it this year and release it in 2027, though the timeline could change. OpenAI has been talking up its move into hardware for some time, but the shape of its first device has remained unclear. According to a new report, the company is starting with a movable, screenless smart speaker designed to act as a physical manifestation of ChatGPT in the home. Bloomberg reports that the details come from people familiar with the project, who asked not to be identified because it hasn't been announced. The device is still under development and is intended to serve as a humanlike AI companion, capable of controlling smart-home appliances, playing media, answering questions, responding to messages, and drawing on ChatGPT's broader capabilities. The speaker will reportedly include a camera and other sensors to understand its surroundings, and will also use personal information, such as emails, to learn more about its owner. OpenAI is said to want the device to become more personalized and proactive over time, including anticipating needs and surfacing information proactively. Mechanical elements may also be involved to make it feel more alive. A rechargeable battery would let users carry the device from room to room -- there's no suggestion that the mechanical parts are some kind of wheels or legs. Bloomberg says it could be moved into the kitchen for cooking help, taken into another room while doing chores, and later used for music. Its voice features are expected to rely on GPT-Live, the more advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode that OpenAI introduced this month. OpenAI is reportedly aiming to unveil the device this year before releasing it in 2027, although those plans could still change. Apple is seeking an injunction against OpenAI's hardware business as part of a lawsuit alleging trade-secret theft -- a move that could affect the timeline. The company is said to have around five hardware products in development, including wearables, home robotics, and a possible smartphone replacement.

The OpenAI Mystery Device Will Reportedly Be Basically Just a Smart Speaker

According to an anonymously sourced report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the much hyped and frequently mocked physical doohickey coming soon from OpenAI will be... a smart speaker that moves. In April, another major source of Apple rumors, Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst at TF International Securities described something in a different category when he said OpenAI was releasing an "AI agent phone." One (or both) of these rumors could be wrong, or this could be a different device, or -- and in my view this is equally likely -- the thing OpenAI is making could split the difference between being a phone and being a smart speaker. After all, what's in the Bloomberg article doesn't sound entirely stale and uncreative. It will apparently be portable, battery-powered, and small enough to be easy to move from one room to another -- like a baby monitor or 90s cordless phone perhaps. But it will also be capable of controlling the smart appliances in your house, screenless, and chatbot-powered, like a smart speaker. And then there's this curveball: it will reportedly have mechanical components that allow it to move in some way or another, giving the impression that it is "alive." If that part about moving sounds harebrained to you, what if I said it sounds oddly like something Apple has been working on for the past few years? There are reportedly three prototype home devices that have been floating around Cupertino for a while: two Siri-powered smart speakers, meant to introduce a new and more sophisticated Apple HomePod ecosystem, along with a third that is also a little robot that moves around your tabletop. Last week, Apple sued OpenAI for misappropriating its trade secrets, alleging a scheme involving the poaching of talent from Apple, including mechanical engineer Tang Tan. OpenAI says in response, "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets," according to spokesperson Drew Pusateri, who adds, "We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere." But it's worth keeping in mind that other rumors about the Apple home robot device have made it seem like more of an iPad-like device with robotic swiveling action, and not at all like a smart speaker. The smart speaker device is apparently the culmination of OpenAI's relationship with former Apple design legend Jony Ive, and the $6.4 billion acquisition of Ive's hardware design company io. As far as what might make the OpenAI device at least ostensibly special and unique, Bloomberg's source claims that it's supposed to be a companion that gets "increasingly personalized and proactive as it gains a deeper understanding of its owner over time." It needs to live up to every part of that claim and more, because it would not be an exaggeration to say it is the most hyperbolically hyped-up device since the Segway scooter in 2001. Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have sounded downright creepily obsessed with this thing since the slickly produced video announcement of their friendship (What, you don't do this when you make a friend?) released in March of last year. In November, Altman recounted Ive saying "'We'll know we'll have the design right when you want to lick it or take a bite out of it.'" Altman then claimed that "There was an earlier prototype that we were like quite excited about, but I did not have any feeling of like 'I want to pick up that thing and take a bite out of it." He then added, "But finally we got there all of a sudden." Altman has also said the device will be "the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen." And Bloomberg says it will be a smart speaker, so I guess we'll soon see who's right.

OpenAI's first device will reportedly be a 'humanlike' rechargeable speaker - Engadget

It will be powered by a more advanced version of the model used by ChatGPT's new voice mode, Bloomberg says. It has long been reported that OpenAI's first hardware product will be an AI-powered speaker. Now, a new Bloomberg report reveals more details about the upcoming device, which will apparently be rechargeable and can easily be carried from one room to another. You're supposed to be able to take it to the kitchen, for instance, to help you with cooking instructions and then carry it back to your living room or bedroom. The publication says the speaker is meant to be a "humanlike AI companion" that can talk to you naturally in the way ChatGPT can, which can also control your smart home devices and play audio. The speaker will not have a screen, but Bloomberg says it will have mechanical elements that can move on their own to create an illusion that it's "alive" and not just an object that can follow commands. Since OpenAI wants it to be a physical manifestation of ChatGPT and feel like a real companion rather than just another smart speaker, it will use a more advanced version of GPT-Live, the model that powers the new ChatGPT voice mode OpenAI recently launched. It will be able to listen and talk at the same time and quickly process new information to be able to adapt more naturally while in the middle of conversations. In addition, the company will equip the device with a camera and other sensors so that it can gather more context about a user's surroundings for more personalized responses. OpenAI acquired io, the startup founded by ex-Apple designer Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion in 2025 to help design the speaker. It's planning to release the speaker sometime in 2027, but it could be delayed, as Apple is asking the court for an injunction on OpenAI's hardware products. A few days ago, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two of its former employees over trade secret theft and had also accused Ive's io of being complicit. Apple accused its former employees Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan of downloading dozens of confidential hardware-related files, including technical specs and proprietary data for unreleased products. It also claimed that OpenAI's interview process had evolved "to try to solicit additional confidential Apple information." OpenAI, Apple said, has hired more than 400 of its former employees so far. They include Paul Meade, the top executive in charge of the Vision Pro headset's development, who now leads OpenAI's new hardware division.

OpenAI's first device will be a portable speaker with a camera and other sensors

According to Bloomberg, OpenAI's anticipated entry into the hardware market is slated to begin with a portable, screenless smart speaker. Here are the details. One of roughly five products under development Although OpenAI first announced its entry into the hardware market in May 2025 alongside Jony Ive's io Products, the subject had largely faded into the background before Apple's trade secret lawsuit brought renewed attention to what the company might be building. Soon after the initial announcement, company iyO filed a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI and io Products, and court filings in that case offered the first clues about what the project would not be: the first device under development was neither a wearable nor an in-ear product. Now, Bloomberg reports what the device is actually expected to be. From the report: OpenAI's much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era, according to people familiar with the matter. And Though the new product resembles a speaker, OpenAI internally describes it as the first of its kind: a computer built for AI to help make busy people more productive. It includes a camera and other sensors that help it understand a user's surroundings and context, as well as advanced AI models beyond those available on conventional smart speakers. The report says the device can remain plugged into a single room, but will also feature a rechargeable battery "allowing it to be carried from room to room throughout the day": A user could bring it into the laundry room while doing chores, move it into the kitchen for cooking assistance, and later place it in a living room or bedroom to have it play music. It can also remain plugged into a single room if the customer chooses. The report also notes that, while comparisons to Apple's HomePod may be inevitable, particularly in light of Apple's trade secret lawsuit, "OpenAI believes its first product doesn't violate any trade secrets." Finally, Bloomberg says the speaker is one of roughly five products OpenAI has been developing, and that its longer-term plans reportedly include "a mobile AI device capable of replacing the smartphone." At the same time, the company has also "explored wearable products, including a pendant, and has shown interest in home robotics." To read Bloomberg's full report, follow this link. Worth checking out on Amazon

OpenAI's First AI Device Will Be a Portable Smart Speaker

OpenAI's first AI hardware product is a mobile smart speaker without a display, reports Bloomberg. The device is at the heart of a new legal dispute with Apple, with Apple accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets that have contributed to the development of the product. OpenAI's speaker-like product is designed to "serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home," according to Bloomberg. It will be able to control smart home accessories, answer questions, play media, respond to messages, and more, with the device powered by ChatGPT. It is meant to learn more about the user over time, becoming more personalized and proactive, using GPT-Live to communicate with users. The device will have a personality, and will be able to "connect on a humanlike level with users." It has mechanical elements that can move on their own, to create a sense that the device is alive. There's also a camera so it can understand a user's surroundings. The AI product includes a rechargeable battery and it can be carried from room to room. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive have teased the device several times, suggesting it will have "incredible contextual awareness" about a user's life, and describing it as a new type of computer built for AI. The two have suggested prototypes are "jaw-droppingly good" and "exciting." In a lawsuit filed against OpenAI for theft of trade secrets, Apple claims OpenAI used its confidential information developing the AI device, including gaining access to a proprietary metal finishing technique. "OpenAI's nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets," reads Apple's filing. People familiar with the project told Bloomberg that the device is different from anything Apple has on the market today, and it is "unlikely" it violates Apple trade secrets. Though Apple has the HomePod and HomePod mini speakers, OpenAI does not see Apple's speakers as comparable to its hardware product. Apple is also working on a home hub device that sounds similar to what OpenAI is developing. Apple's smart home hub is rumored to have a 7-inch square display, a speaker, a camera for video chats and facial recognition, and Siri AI integration. Initial rumors suggested OpenAI's hardware device could come out as soon as 2026, but it's now not expected to launch until 2027. OpenAI could unveil the AI product this year ahead of its 2027 release, but the Apple lawsuit could change the timing. Apple has asked the court for an injunction, and if granted, OpenAI could be prohibited from releasing hardware.

Relax, Apple, OpenAI and its rumored AI smart speaker plans are no threat to you, Siri, HomePods, robots, or any other part of your business

OpenAI is building an AI-powered smart speaker nobody wants. That is, if you believe the Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman and you've read his description of said rumored device. According to the report: "OpenAI believes the product's defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users. The speaker incorporates mechanical elements that can move on their own, creating a sense that it is alive and not just an object responding to commands. The machine also will draw on personal information such as emails to better understand its owner." The news sources, it appears, come from an insider who decided to spill all the juicy details mere hours after Apple dropped a blockbuster trade-secrets lawsuit on OpenAI's head. OpenAI claims it's done nothing of the sort, and recent reports say that Apple's claim that the AI giant has not even responded to Apple's earliest concerns was based on it potentially incorrectly identifying the former Apple employees who left to join OpenAI (allegedly with Apple trade secrets in tow). Apple's concerns here are twofold: First, these former employees had access to many of Apple's secretive product development details and may even have asked recruits to share fresh details when they approached them to interview for jobs at OpenAI. The other concern is that Apple is already far behind in the AI race, and if Apple's plans for Siri, AI, and a potential robotic desktop home assistant were also leaked, it could harm its ability to catch up in multiple market sectors. This latest news, which may or may not be accurate, should put Apple's fears to rest. OpenAI is apparently not building something that could ably compete with any of Apple's key hardware or future hardware initiatives. First of all, there's the smart-speaker-ness of the whole rumored OpenAI concept. There are already too many smart speakers on the market, many of them with their own smart assistants. Amazon, for instance, is smack in the middle of trying to convince millions of customers that not only do they need Echo devices throughout the home, but they need the AI-powered Alexa+ to guide them through their smart home experiences and, to some extent, their lives. Apple has its own HomePod, Siri-infused speakers, which may get considerably more powerful with the Gemini foundation model-backed version arriving this Fall. Put another way, smart speakers are a known quantity in the home consumer electronics space, and I think what most tech companies are realizing is that people like and use them, but mostly in limited ways: they want music, occasional answers to simple questions, and voice control of their smart home devices. That's it. Why does my speaker think it's alive? OpenAI appears to be prepared to offer something different: a personality-filled speaker that can watch you, move to engage, seem alive, and generally make you feel uncomfortable. Obviously, that would not be the objective, but it could be the result. Who needs a speaker that quietly watches you as you walk from your kitchen to the den, waiting and hoping for you to say, "hey ChatGPT, what's up with the Strait of Hormuz today?" In my home, we have a Psync smart security webcam with one oddball feature: it has a motorized body that can turn almost 360 degrees on its base and lift its thin, rectangular face and camera to keep track of people and alert me to intruders. However, most of the time, it's just watching us move around the house, and I can tell you that my family hates it. Sometimes I come home and find its face forced down so it can't pop up and track anything. Now, imagine a larger and far smarter OpenAI AI smart speaker in your home, watching, waiting, chiming in when you don't want it to, and generally making people feel uncomfortable. This will not be the breakout hardware hit OpenAI is hoping for. Look, I was under the impression that OpenAI (really Jony Ive and Sam Altman) were working on an AI wearable. I didn't love that idea either, but it was a lot less creepy than this. So, Apple, chill out. OpenAI's plans are no threat to you, even if they do allegedly have a bunch of insidery Apple information. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

OpenAI's smart speaker sounds like a cross between a HomePod and a Furby

OpenAI is reportedly making a portable, screenless smart speaker intended to act as a household AI companion. It sounds like a cross between an Apple HomePod, a Furby, and spyware. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that OpenAI is developing a hardware device powered by its generative AI chatbot ChatGPT. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports that the device will perform various functions already covered by other smart speakers, including controlling smart appliances, playing media, responding to messages, and answering questions. However, rather than attempting to offer pure utility, OpenAI's smart speaker will apparently try to endear itself to users with a "personality" as well. Specifically, the device will have moving mechanical parts which it can use to express itself, Bloomberg reporting that it will be designed to feel "humanlike" and "a physical manifestation of OpenAI's ChatGPT." The device will reportedly actively gather data about users as well, using such means as accessing their emails ostensibly to offer more personalised service. Equipped with cameras and sensors and able to access users' personal information, OpenAI's speaker will reportedly learn their owners' habits and offer assistance without prompting. We've known that OpenAI has had an eye on moving into physical devices for a while now, with the company announcing last May that it had acquired iPhone designer Jony Ive' startup io. Details leaked to The Wall Street Journal at the time suggested that OpenAI's hardware debut would be a screenless device that could essentially surveil a user and their environment. "The product will be capable of being fully aware of a user's surroundings and life, will be unobtrusive, able to rest in one's pocket or on one's desk," according to an OpenAI staff meeting recording reported by the Journal. Bloomberg's sources now appear to back up this report that OpenAI's devices are being designed with constant surveillance in mind. According to the Journal's report, OpenAI has grand plans to ship 100 million of these devices, and dreams of it becoming "a third core device a person would put on a desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone." Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable's parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

OpenAI wants its speaker to feel alive. Apple says it's a stolen idea | Fortune

Firm details about the device have been scant, but on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported, cited people familiar with the matter, what the device may look like: a "screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era." The device is meant to be "human-like" with smart speaker-like features that help control appliances in a user's home, play media, respond to messages and answer queries by using OpenAI's ChatGPT, the people added. The device's AI capabilities could allow it to better interact with users on a personal level, according to the report. It will also become increasingly personalized and proactive over time as it draws on information like a users' personal emails. Mechanical parts that move on their own also give users "a sense that it is alive and not just an object responding to commands," the outlet reported. OpenAI did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. AI device market The market for AI-first home devices is still in its infancy. Both Amazon and Google have incorporated AI capabilities into their existing smart speakers. Meanwhile, Google last month also released a new Google Home speaker designed specifically for Gemini. Still, reviews for Google's product have thus far been mixed. While critics praised the AI-enabled speaker's more natural conversations, and especially a paywalled live chat feature called Gemini Live, they also noted the device has a tendency to ignore some questions and can get confused during interactions. Only a handful of truly AI-first devices exist on the market today. One example that could resemble OpenAI's planned product -- according to Bloomberg's description -- is ElliQ, an AI device designed for older adults that resembles a desk lamp and also has moving parts. First released by Intuition Robotics in 2022, ElliQ, like OpenAI's device, is meant to be humanlike and comfort elderly people by prompting users several times a day with jokes or questions. The device uses AI to become more personalized to a user over time, and can serve as a companion but also can help track wellness information like heart rate and blood pressure as well as appointments. In addition, startup Humane advertised its hands-free AI pin as an alternative to smartphones when it released the product in 2024, yet the product was criticized for slow performance and overheating. Ultimately, HP shuttered the product after acquiring the startup last year for $116 million. OpenAI's device still has no release date, but in January, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said it was set to unveil the product in the second half of this year. Even while still in development, the prospect of a new AI-first device to compete with products from established tech giants already has competitors on the defensive. Last week, Apple sued OpenAI and two of its former employees who joined the startup in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The company alleges OpenAI leveraged the insider knowledge of its ex-employees to build up its fledgling hardware division. The company alleged that OpenAI asked ex-Apple employees in interviews about secret projects and asked them to bring in prototypes. "OpenAI's nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets," Apple wrote in the lawsuit. For its part, an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to multiple outlets that it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets and that the company remains "focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere." OpenAI's new device could supercharge the company's prospects as it approaches a potential record-breaking IPO after filing the paperwork to go public last month. While it's still unclear when OpenAI might list its shares publicly, the company is looking for ways to capitalize on the hundreds of billions of dollars it has raised from investors in the past several years. Last year, the company bought Ive's design studio IO for a whopping $6.5 billion and announced a partnership with the Apple designer to bring its AI-first product to fruition. At the time of the announcement, the pair said they had been collaborating for about two years. Altman has said the company is aiming to develop a new family of products that can replace static smartphones and computers. "Computers, software, and hardware, just the way we think of current computers, were designed for a world without AI," Altman said on the OpenAI podcast last June. "Now we're in, like, a very different world, and what you want out of hardware and software is changing quite rapidly."

OpenAI's first hardware product sounds more like a companion than a speaker

The AI company is reportedly building a mobile home device that understands context and proactively helps users. For months, rumors have suggested that OpenAI's first hardware product could be a wearable AI device, or perhaps even the beginning of its long-term smartphone ambitions. As it turns out, the company's first gadget may be something far simpler, yet arguably far more ambitious. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages, and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, according to people familiar with the matter. OpenAI's first AI device could end up being a speaker, following plenty of hype that the company is actually working on a wearable AI device and might even launch a smartphone down the road. According to a Bloomberg report, the speaker will serve as a human-like AI companion that will integrate directly with the smart home ecosystem. Recommended Videos "OpenAI believes the product's defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users," adds the report. The device will likely serve as a hub for a proactive AI agent, one that not only answers user queries but also anticipates what a user might need in the moment. More companion than speaker Despite resembling a smart speaker, Bloomberg says OpenAI internally sees the product as something much bigger: the company's first AI-native computer. Simply put, it could very well be a physical manifestation of the ChatGPT AI assistant, designed to stay nearby and proactively help throughout the day rather than waiting for users to ask questions. More notably, the speaker will feature a mechanical design that offers a certain level of movement or directional flexibility, making it feel a little more alive than the smart speakers we're used to today. The idea sounds somewhat similar to what Apple has reportedly been building over the years with the HomePod. To recall, Apple is said to be working on its own smart display that's likely mounted on a movable robotic arm, although OpenAI appears to be taking a screen-free approach focused entirely on voice and AI interactions. At the heart of those human-machine interactions will be GPT-Live, the voice-first mode of ChatGPT that's designed to feel remarkably natural during conversations. Bloomberg also says the device will include a camera for understanding its surroundings, while an additional environmental sensor could help it detect context in a manner similar to Amazon's presence-sensing Echo devices. The goal, it seems, is to build an assistant that doesn't just hear commands, but understands the world around it. Just the beginning of OpenAI's hardware ambitions OpenAI's smart speaker is also expected to include a rechargeable battery, meaning it won't necessarily have to remain plugged into a wall like traditional smart speakers. Instead, users could carry it from room to room, allowing the AI companion to stay close throughout the day. Bloomberg adds that this is only the beginning. OpenAI is reportedly developing five different hardware products, with the smart speaker expected to be the first to launch in 2027. The broader effort is being shaped by LoveFrom, the design studio founded by legendary former Apple design chief Jony Ive, which is helping OpenAI explore an entirely new family of AI-powered devices. The timing couldn't be more interesting. Apple recently filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of poaching employees and using them to obtain confidential product information related to future hardware. Yet, if Bloomberg's report is accurate, the company's first device isn't trying to be another smartphone or smart display. Instead, OpenAI appears to be betting that the next big AI gadget could be something far more personal -- a companion that quietly follows users through their day, understands their surroundings, and feels less like a gadget and more like someone always ready to help.

OpenAI's first hardware gadget reportedly a mobile smart speaker

Apple sued OpenAI last week over alleged hardware trade secrets theft. OpenAI is pitting its AI capabilities against the likes of Amazon and Google with its very first consumer gadget, a "mobile, screen-free smart speaker". According to Bloomberg, the new device is designed to be the next-generation ChatGPT-powered home computer, meant to be a physical embodiment of the AI chatbot. Sources told journalist Mark Gurman that the device is meant to be a "humanlike AI companion" that stays at home, and controls smart-home appliances, responds to queries, plays media - tapping into OpenAI's chart-leading ChatGPT models for these capabilities. Similar devices, such as Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home are already widely available in the market, but OpenAI is seemingly attempting to make upgrades to the existing model. According to Bloomberg's report, OpenAI is hinging on its ability to connect with users on a "humanlike level". The new smart speaker is expected to become "increasingly personalised" over time as it continues to gather data on its users, including via reading emails. "The speaker incorporates mechanical elements that can move on their own, creating a sense that it is alive and not just an object responding to commands," read the report. Though described as a speaker, the device, still under development, will include a camera along with other sensors to help it better understand context, sources said. It will also come with a rechargeable battery. The speaker will communicate via the new ChatGPT voice model GPT-Live that was rolled out earlier this month. According to the AI giant, the model is capable of speaking with a cadence similar to humans, and can listen and speak at the same time. GPT-Live "make[s] talking with AI feel much more like having a real conversation", OpenAI said at the time of its launch. Unlike its biggest direct competitor, Anthropic, which has a narrowed focus on the enterprise AI market, OpenAI is expanding its scope into the heavily populated consumer gadgets market. The tech giant, which has shaky plans to go public this year, has shut down less profitable ventures such as the Sora video generation model, and its standalone AI browser Atlas. The company spent $6.5bn last summer to acquire Io, a hardware start-up co-founded by Apple design veteran Jony Ive and its current chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan. And by November, it had finished developing its first device prototypes. Its hardware division currently is developing five different products, but hopes to one day create a mobile AI device capable of replacing the smartphone. The news comes as Apple, in a fresh lawsuit last week, accused OpenAI and its hardware division of stealing trade secrets. The iPhone-maker, accused Tan, its former VP of product design for iPhone and Apple Watches, of taking part in a "coordinated pattern of misconduct" to access and share confidential information about its unreleased products. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

OpenAI's first device could be a screenless smart speaker. It has plenty of competition

OpenAI is reportedly developing a screenless smart speaker that could be commercially released as soon as 2027 as its first-ever major hardware device. OpenAI's speaker will be designed for the home. It's battery-powered, so it can carried from room to room, and it will include cameras, sensors, and mechanical elements, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with Bloomberg. Whatever the AI giant comes up with will enter a crowded marketplace of smart speakers. But for OpenAI, the biggest selling point might not be the hardware, but the LLM that powers it. The device is expected to do the things that current smart speakers already do: play music, control smart-home appliances, answer questions, and respond to messages. The difference is that it will also be intuitive and adaptive. The device will reportedly use an advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode that's capable of listening and talking simultaneously as well as proactively anticipating users' needs and surface information for them.

OpenAI reportedly plans AI companion speaker for 2027

OpenAI plans to launch an AI-powered rechargeable speaker designed to serve as a "humanlike AI companion" by 2027, according to a report from Bloomberg. This speaker will allow users to carry it easily from room to room while providing assistance with tasks such as cooking and controlling smart home devices. The device will feature a design that includes mechanical elements intended to create the illusion of being "alive," despite lacking a screen. It will utilize a more advanced version of the GPT-Live model, enabling simultaneous listening and talking. The advanced processing capabilities aim to improve adaptability during conversations, allowing for more natural interactions. OpenAI plans to equip the speaker with cameras and sensors to gather context about users' surroundings, thereby enhancing personalized responses. The development of this device is supported by the acquisition of io, a startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, which OpenAI purchased for $6.5 billion in 2025. However, the release of the speaker could be delayed due to legal challenges from Apple. Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and two former employees, alleging trade secret theft. The lawsuit accuses ex-employees Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan of downloading confidential hardware-related files and contends that OpenAI's interview process was aimed at soliciting proprietary information from Apple. Apple claims that OpenAI has hired over 400 former Apple employees, including Paul Meade, who previously oversaw the Vision Pro headset's development and now leads OpenAI's hardware division. The ongoing litigation is seeking an injunction against OpenAI's hardware products, which could impact the speaker's timeline.

OpenAI's first device will be a movable, screenless, smart speaker

San Francisco | OpenAI's much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era, according to people familiar with the matter. The product -- still under development -- is meant to serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn't been announced. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, they said.

OpenAI's First Device Will Want to Know Everything About You

Last year, OpenAI announced it would be working with iPhone designer Jony Ive on a range of physical devices. Rumors swirled about various surveillant doodads: a pen, an earbud, a necklace, a pocket shard. Now, a few weeks out from the unveiling of Ive's other big post-Apple design collaboration -- the Ferrari Luce, the intensely polarizing look of which led the company's former boss to say he hopes "they remove the prancing horse from that car" -- reporter Mark Gurman has leaked information on OpenAI's first device, a smart speaker that's "mobile, screen-free," and intended to function like an AI "home computer." The product -- still under development -- is meant to serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn't been announced. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, they said. This sounds like a bid to create a slightly new category of hardware. Smart speakers that live in your house tend to stay in one spot or work in unison across different rooms. Movable smart speakers, like the Sonos Move, or the countless bluetooth speakers that include little-used Alexa features are marketed as portable and are mostly dedicated to music. In addition to the devices being built around ChatGPT, the suggestion here is that, in order for them to be constantly available -- and able to listen -- users will be expected to take them along inside the home. Okay! We'll see. Smart speakers have sold well over the years and have gradually and naturally morphed into a few subcategories. You've got the classic early Echo-type devices, mostly used for playing music, setting timers, and, particularly within the past five years, operating increasingly common smart-home configurations. More recently, companies like Amazon shifted toward countertop tablets, which likewise fulfill some old "home computer" needs, doubling as TVs, calendars, and picture frames. In the 12 years since Amazon opened up the category, though, the "smart" part of these devices has been a consistent letdown. In 2014, the Echo launched with the promise that, the more you use it, "the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences." As with Siri, which, years into the LLM era, is just barely exceeding the capabilities it was first marketed with in the 2010s, the smart-speaker concept has only just broken out of set-timer purgatory, and not completely: Alexa+, the post-GPT revision of Amazon's platform, can now chat with you at length and is better at taking notes and updating calendars, but it still feels like using Alexa. Companies such as Amazon, Google, and Apple have had years to integrate their speakers with numerous smartphone protocols, and all have the benefit of existing within larger ecosystems. Whatever OpenAI builds will need that stuff to work pretty well right away. All three of those tech giants are also in the process of further building out LLM-based features across those ecosystems, so a device that talks like ChatGPT won't have enormous novelty by default (Apple's new Siri is built on top of Google Gemini). For OpenAI's part, attempts to assistantize ChatGPT with daily digests and proactive communication haven't yet taken. There are signs that Apple is, if not worried, sort of annoyed: The company is currently suing OpenAI for what it characterizes as fairly brazen attempts at IP theft. But what this report mainly suggests is that OpenAI (which, in the years following the release of ChatGPT, frequently used the the movie Her as an aspirational touchstone -- at one point releasing a demo so on the nose that Scarlett Johansson posted an angry letter about it) remains, in its alleged era of avoiding "side quests" and doubling down on paying enterprise customers to compete with Anthropic, fixated on the idea of creating an intimate personal assistant. This isn't a bet any of the other big labs are making so explicitly, but it's one with which OpenAI has since gained useful, though complicated, insights. The model generation it was demonstrating with the Johansson-ish voice was ChatGPT 4o, which would later be withdrawn for being too sycophantic but which was also linked, more clearly than any other model to date, with AI psychosis, attachment, and incitements to harm. In one way, for OpenAI, this was a disaster and a scandal. In another, it was proof of concept: They really can get people attached to their AI assistants. It just might drive some of them insane.

OpenAI's First AI Device Could Be Screen-Free, Might Support These Features

A rechargeable battery could allow for portability between rooms OpenAI has long been rumoured to foray into the consumer hardware business with an AI-powered device. While the rumour mill previously claimed that the ChatGPT maker could introduce an AI headset as its first-ever hardware device, a recent leak suggests otherwise. According to a report, the company is developing a portable, screen-free smart speaker which could serve as an AI-powered home companion. The purported AI device is expected to run on a rechargeable battery, allowing it to be carried between rooms. OpenAI's First AI Device Could Be Screen-Free A Bloomberg report reveals that OpenAI is working on what it internally describes as a new kind of computer built specifically for the AI era. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the journalist claims that instead of functioning as a conventional voice assistant, the product will likely serve as a human-like AI companion. It could essentially function as a physical extension of ChatGPT. The purported AI hardware is said to be powered by GPT-Live. It is, notably, a more advanced version of ChatGPT's Voice Mode recently introduced by the company. The feature is capable of simultaneously listening and speaking, processing information in real time, and responding more naturally during conversations. Apart from simply responding to queries, the device could also be capable of controlling compatible smart home appliances. As per the report, users may be able to use it for playing music, responding to messages, and leveraging ChatGPT's broader capabilities. The AI device will reportedly also be able to tap into user behaviour and learn through interactions, ultimately becoming personalised over time. A key feature of OpenAI's AI device is believed to be its ability to behave like a companion. The report claims it will feature mechanical components that are capable of subtle movements for a more lifelike presence during conversations. The company reportedly believes that this could help distinguish its hardware from existing smart speakers offered by rivals, namely Apple's HomePod. Instead of being plugged in at one location, however, the rumoured device is said to have a rechargeable battery, which would allow users to move it freely around their home. Courtesy of this, the device could reportedly assist while cooking in the kitchen, provide information during household chores, and later be moved into the bedroom or living room for entertainment. Further, built-in camera and additional sensors are expected to bestow it with contextual awareness. The latest report contrasts with several earlier leaks surrounding OpenAI's first consumer hardware product. Previous reports had suggested the ChatGPT maker was exploring an AI headset or even an AI pen as its first wearable. Bloomberg's latest report, however, suggests the company's first hardware product could instead be a home-focused smart speaker.

OpenAI hardware device: OpenAI's first hardware device will be a speaker

Apple's complaint, filed on Friday, accuses OpenAI of orchestrating a broad ⁠effort ⁠to systematically acquire and exploit Apple's confidential information through its former employees, recruiting practices and supplier relationships to accelerate its push into the consumer hardware business. OpenAI will launch a portable, screen-free smart speaker as its first consumer hardware product, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, days after Apple sued the AI startup and two former employees of the iPhone maker for trade-secret theft. Apple's complaint, filed on Friday, accuses OpenAI of orchestrating a broad ⁠effort ⁠to systematically acquire and exploit Apple's confidential information through its former employees, recruiting practices and supplier relationships to accelerate its push into the consumer hardware business. OpenAI's device could open a new line of revenue for the IPO-bound company. Last year, it paid $6.5 billion to buy io, an AI devices startup ⁠from Apple's former design chief, Jony Ive, to develop devices tailored for the generative AI era. The product, which resembles ⁠a speaker, is still in development and is designed to act as a humanlike AI companion within the home, the Bloomberg report said, citing people familiar with the matter. It will be capable of controlling smart home appliances, playing media, answering questions, responding to messages and drawing on the broader capabilities of OpenAI's ChatGPT, according to the report. The device includes a camera and sensors that will help it understand a user's surroundings and context as well ⁠as advanced AI models beyond those available on conventional smart speakers, according to Bloomberg News. Ive's studio, LoveFrom, is also helping build OpenAI's device business and the effort involves numerous former Apple designers and engineers who worked on products such as the iPhone and Mac, the report said. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

OpenAI's First Consumer Device Reportedly is a Mobile, Screen-Free Smart Speaker -- Mark Gurman Says Apple

OpenAI's high-stakes foray into consumer devices would reportedly start with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed as an AI companion capable of controlling smart home appliances. The device is still under development and would act as a home companion that can not only control appliances but also play media, respond to messages and questions, as well as capitalize on the range of offerings by OpenAI's ChatGPT, reported Mark Gurman of Bloomberg on Tuesday. The device's communication capabilities would tap into the recently rolled-out GPT-Live, a more advanced version of the AI model. It would be able to process information faster and give more natural responses to conversations. The speaker-like product would also include a camera and sensors, making it easier to understand the user's surroundings and overall context, offering an edge over the existing smart speakers. The report, however, added that the exact specifications could change over the period of product development, subject to an underlying legal process. OpenAI did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. The OpenAI-Apple Showdown The lawsuit marked a sharp contrast to the 2024 collaboration to incorporate ChatGPT into the iPhone's software. That being said, in a separate post on X, Bloomberg's Gurman said that Apple has "nothing like" OpenAI's under-development consumer device in the market yet. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

OpenAI's first device will be movable, screenless speaker built as AI companion

OpenAI's much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the artificial intelligence era, according to people familiar with the matter. The product -- still under development -- is meant to serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn't been announced. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, they said. The device represents a critical next step for OpenAI, a top developer of AI models that is poised for an initial public offering in the coming months. The move will vault the company into deeper competition with the likes of Apple, Amazon and Alphabet's Google, and the push has already met some resistance.

OpenAI Bets On An AI Speaker That Physically Moves Around Your House, Chasing A Gap Apple Left Wide Open

Apple's damning lawsuit against OpenAI appears to have had a profound impact on the latter's product launch cadence, with the latest report indicating that the maker of ChatGPT is now prioritizing a screen-free, mobile smart speaker, which is something that Apple currently does not have. OpenAI's planned smart speaker will have "mechanical elements" to help it move, and it will be able to connect with users on a human-like level As we detailed recently, Apple filed a damning lawsuit against OpenAI last week, accusing it of stealing its proprietary technology, circuit designs, and component architecture for a slew of upcoming consumer-geared AI devices. Now, however, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is out with a fresh scoop, detailing that OpenAI is preparing a unique smart speaker as the first among an upcoming range of consumer-facing AI devices. Additional details include: Of course, if OpenAI thought that prioritizing this product would disprove Apple's assertions in its lawsuit, it's likely mistaken. After all, Apple is actively preparing a somewhat similar smart home device that bears the internal codename J595, and will reportedly come equipped with a screen and a robotic arm. Apple is expected to launch a more conventional smart home command center first, though, one that bears the codename J490 and is expected to feature a new operating system, a square 7-inch display, videoconferencing abilities, and facial recognition. Do note that OpenAI has been working on a number of AI devices, including AI-powered earbuds that bear the internal codename "Sweetpea" but might retail under the "Dime" brand name, and a consumer device that is shaped like a pen and bears the internal codename "Gumdrop." More recently, OpenAI appeared to have pivoted to an AI phone, where users would rely on real-time AI agent inference using a combination of on-device and cloud-based models, rather than individual apps, to perform a variety of productivity tasks. In light of today's reporting, however, it seems this AI phone has been placed on a back burner. Meanwhile, Apple is also working to incorporate AI into a number of its upcoming products, including audio-only and AR-based smart glasses, camera-equipped AirPods Pro (though the latest tidbit suggests the product has been placed in a deep-freeze), and a wearable AI pin or pendant that would come equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones, and wireless charging. Apple's pin/pendant would presumably act as a conduit for channeling commands to Siri, while relying heavily on its iPhone counterpart for most processing despite sporting an onboard chip, albeit comparable in power to the one that is housed within the AirPods or the Apple Watch. Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.

OpenAI Plans Portable Smart Speaker With Personality | PYMNTS.com

The device, which is still under development and could be changed, will be able to tap into ChatGPT's capabilities, will become more personalized to the user over time, and will have a personality, according to the report. It will also be able to control smart-home appliances and play media, the report said. The device will be designed to be used in the home but will be portable enough to be easily moved from room to room. It will have no screen, but it will have a camera and other sensors so it can understand its surroundings, per the report. OpenAI aims to reveal the device this year and launch it in 2027, the report said. OpenAI did not immediately respond to PYMNTS' request for comment. When OpenAI acquired AI device startup io for a reported $6.5 billion in May 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and io Co-Founder Jony Ive, the former chief design officer at Apple, said that a new generation of devices was needed for the AI era. In a video announcing the acquisition, Altman said he believes there's a better way to access AI than turning on a computer, opening a web browser, going to ChatGPT's website, typing in a query and waiting for an answer. "I think we have the opportunity here to kind of completely reimagine what it means to use a computer," Altman said in the video. In February, it was reported the OpenAI has more than 200 people working to develop AI-powered devices, including a smart speaker, smart glasses and a smart lamp. That report said the company planned to release the smart speaker first, no earlier than February 2027. It was reported Friday (July 10) that Apple sued OpenAI and two of its employees, alleging that they stole trade secrets from Apple to support OpenAI's development of devices. According to Tuesday's Bloomberg report, OpenAI believes its smart speaker is different to anything Apple currently offers and is unlikely to violate trade secrets.

OpenAI's first device could be a moveable screenless speaker: Report

OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch its first consumer hardware device with a moveable, screenless speaker designed to serve as an AI companion for the home. According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the device is still under development and is being designed as a new type of "computer built for AI" that relies on ChatGPT and advanced voice capabilities instead of a traditional display. AI companion for the home The device is expected to: * Control smart home appliances * Play media * Answer questions * Respond to messages * Access ChatGPT Designed for use around the home, it will reportedly feature a rechargeable battery that allows users to move it between rooms or keep it plugged into a single location. It is also said to include a camera and other sensors to understand a user's surroundings and context, while using AI models beyond those found in conventional smart speakers. According to the report, the device will become increasingly personalized and proactive over time. It will learn from user interactions and personal information, including emails, to better understand its owner, anticipate needs, and proactively surface relevant information. The speaker is also expected to feature mechanical elements that can move independently during interactions. Powered by GPT-Live According to the report, the device will use a more advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode, called GPT-Live, which can: * Listen and speak simultaneously * Adapt more naturally during conversations * Process information more quickly OpenAI reportedly describes the product internally as its first "computer built for AI" rather than a conventional smart speaker. An OpenAI spokesperson declined to comment on the report. Development and launch timeline The hardware initiative follows OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products last year. The startup was co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, while his design firm LoveFrom is helping develop OpenAI's hardware lineup. The project also reportedly involves former Apple executives Tang Tan, Evans Hankey, and Paul Meade. Bloomberg reports that OpenAI is currently working on around five hardware products, with the screenless speaker expected to be the first. The company is aiming to unveil the device later this year ahead of a planned 2027 launch, though the timeline could change depending on the legal process. Future hardware plans Beyond the speaker, OpenAI is also said to be exploring: * A mobile AI device that could replace smartphones * Wearable products, including a pendant * Home robotics The report also notes that Apple has sued OpenAI, alleging the company used trade secrets to accelerate the development of its hardware products. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI believes the device differs significantly from Apple's products and is unlikely to violate the iPhone maker's trade secrets. Apple is also seeking an injunction on OpenAI's hardware, which could affect the product's launch timeline.

OpenAI's First AI Device May Be a Screen-Free Smart Speaker: Report

OpenAI is reportedly developing its first AI hardware device, a portable, screen-free smart speaker powered by ChatGPT. Designed as an AI companion, the device could launch in 2027 and mark OpenAI's expansion into consumer hardware. OpenAI's first consumer hardware product may not be a smartphone or wearable after all. According to a report, the company is developing a portable, screen-free smart speaker designed to serve as an AI companion inside the home, marking its first major step into consumer hardware. The device, which is still under development, is expected to rely on ChatGPT and advanced voice capabilities instead of a traditional display. Internally, it is reportedly being described as a 'humanlike AI companion' that can interact naturally with users while helping manage everyday tasks.

It's not a phone or a watch: we know what OpenAI's first gadget will be

Since May 2025, we've known that OpenAI is about to take its first step into the world of hardware, but we still don't know, at least for now, what kind of device it will be. According to Bloomberg, the company is preparing a device that combines a portable speaker, a camera, and sensors. An approach that moves away from smartphones and smartwatches, which were already ruled out at the time, to focus squarely on artificial intelligence in a rather unusual form factor. A portable device with a camera and sensors Although we know little, Bloomberg reports on a device that is compact, easy to carry, and equipped with a camera and several sensors. Thanks to this combination, OpenAI is seeking to go beyond how we currently interact with smart speakers. The camera will make it possible to understand visual context, such as our location or the objects in front of us, while the sensors -- we still don't know which ones -- should capture extra information in order to offer more useful responses. The idea is to go beyond fixed speakers while maintaining, to a certain extent, the same kind of interaction. Of course, many details remain to be resolved, for example whether it will be possible to use the device with headphones, since we don't always want the people around us to hear ChatGPT's responses. In any case, according to the leaks, OpenAI has settled on a device whose main focus will be continuous interaction. A very natural interaction via voice that is meant to reduce the need to check our phones. Time will tell whether adding one more device to our collection is the best strategy.

OpenAI's first device may be a rechargeable speaker: a screenless ChatGPT companion

OpenAI looks to be working on its first hardware device. The reports describe a rechargeable, screenless speaker built around ChatGPT, GPT-Live voice chat, and a home experience that feels more conversational. If the reporting holds, this would be a portable, speaker-like OpenAI device with no display. The point seems to be building for whatever comes after the smartphone, not releasing another accessory that just rides on Apple or Google platforms. It may also include a camera, other sensors, and even slight mechanical movement so it can follow context, seem more present, and answer in a way that feels more lifelike. That also brings up the obvious privacy problem for a device that could always be listening, or watching. The project is reportedly linked to Jony Ive, LoveFrom, and OpenAI's reported $6.5 billion io Products deal. There are real risks, though. Humane's Ai Pin already showed how difficult it is to sell new AI hardware, demand for always-on companion devices still hasn't been proven, and Apple's trade-secret lawsuit could make development messier. If you want a dedicated AI device, not just another smart speaker, this is worth keeping an eye on. There's nothing to download yet. Current reporting points to a 2026 unveiling, a 2027 release, and a price somewhere between $200 and $300.

OpenAI's first hardware device: Why not a wearable speaker tied to a necklace?

OpenAI's hardware plans have been nothing but hearsay, court filing, and vibe check for the better part of a year now. But all that has ended this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who reports the first product from OpenAI's hardware efforts is a screenless, mobile AI-powered speaker that can autonomously move around, and which is being described within OpenAI as "human-like AI companion to live in your home." The company expects it to work in tandem with ChatGPT, control household devices, and gain information on its user through conversations and access to their emails. Also read: 200 economists say AI threatens jobs but no one has a plan to fix it It is the outcome of OpenAI's acquisition of io Products from Jony Ive's studio worth $6.5 billion, and whose design is done in collaboration between his LoveFrom and a hardware group led by Tang Tan, formerly the head of Apple Design Group. Notably, it's also coming out at quite a tricky time, as Apple had filed a lawsuit against OpenAI just last week for trade secret theft, with Tang Tan mentioned by name as one of the perpetrators. According to OpenAI, there's no infringement in the device and is different enough from Apple's own desk robot project. Yet hidden in the same report lies another tidbit that keeps nagging at me. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI has also looked into making wearables, like pendants, among other members of a family of around five different hardware products they have been developing. Additionally, in the documents for another trademark case involving iyO, we learned that OpenAI's first product was definitely not going to be a wearable or in-ear product either. But let us entertain the idea that OpenAI's next step could very well be to make a screen-less AI speaker - only this time, wearable on a necklace rather than placed on a stand. The obvious reference point is the Humane AI Pin, and it's the one OpenAI needs to actively avoid resembling. The Pin's failure wasn't the idea of a wearable AI companion, it was execution: a laser-projected display on your palm that barely worked outdoors, a body-worn camera that made people around you visibly uncomfortable, and battery life that couldn't survive a workday. A necklace pendant sidesteps most of that simply by refusing to be a screen. No projector, no palm-reading gesture control, just a mic, a speaker, and maybe a camera. That's a much smaller, more honest promise, and one that lines up neatly with what OpenAI is already building into its home speaker: voice-first, screenless, ambient. Also read: Windows search box cleanup: Microsoft fixes years of bloat, here's how The other reference point is Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, arguably the only AI wearable actually working commercially. Their success comes from piggybacking on an object people already wear and understand, sunglasses, rather than asking for new behaviour. A necklace has a version of that same advantage. Jewellery is a category people already accept clipping onto their body, unlike a face-worn camera that broadcasts "I might be recording you" to every room you enter. A pendant could arguably get away with being always-listening in a way glasses can't, because its social contract reads as "accessory," not "surveillance device." But there are also some cons. The pendant does not have any stable surface for showing information on the display, which means that it would fully rely on voice communication without the possibility of using the screen for anything visual. In addition, battery capacity is limited by such a small size. That "always on-body microphone" issue would not be any less problematic despite the different form factor, only less visually threatening, making the issue even more serious. It is clear that the pendant would not become the first product of OpenAI. The first product would still be the speaker, which would sit at your home and learn all of your habits long before it even moves from your home. However, I do find the idea of the pendant quite fascinating, more so as an actual possible device than as a rumor, after OpenAI has demonstrated its "personality" and voice interaction capabilities on another, non-wearable device.

OpenAI's first AI device may be a screenless ChatGPT speaker with a camera: What to expect

OpenAI internally describes the product as a new type of computer built for AI. OpenAI may soon take ChatGPT beyond phones and computers. The company's first consumer AI device is expected to be a portable, screenless smart speaker designed to work as a ChatGPT companion for the home. The device is still under development and is likely to be unveiled later this year. A launch is reportedly planned for 2027. Unlike regular smart speakers, OpenAI's device is expected to focus heavily on AI conversations. It may answer questions, play media, respond to messages and control smart home devices. The speaker could also use several ChatGPT features to help users with everyday tasks, reports Bloomberg. The device is said to become more personalised over time. It could learn more about its owner and use this information to offer useful suggestions. It is also expected to use mechanical parts that can move on their own. This will likely make the device feel more alive during interactions. OpenAI reportedly wants it to feel like a companion and serve as a physical version of ChatGPT. Also read: Sam Altman pokes fun at Anthropic's Claude commercial, says he thought it was satire Voice interactions are expected to be a key part of the experience. The device may use a more advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode called GPT Live, which the company recently launched. This new voice mode can listen and speak at the same time. The rumoured speaker is also expected to equip a camera and other sensors. These may help it understand its surroundings and context. The speaker is also expected to feature a rechargeable battery. Users could easily carry it between rooms. It could be used in the laundry room while doing chores and later moved to the bedroom or living room to play music. Users may also keep it plugged in at one location. Also read: OpenAI's first AI device is still coming this year, but Apple's lawsuit may delay its iPhone rival launch: Report According to the report, OpenAI internally describes the product as a new type of computer built for AI. The company is said to be working on around five hardware products, but the smart speaker is expected to arrive first. Meanwhile, OpenAI is also reportedly working on a device designed to replace smartphones. For now, the screenless ChatGPT speaker appears to be the company's first big step into consumer hardware.