OpenAI is reportedly venturing into the hardware market with a screenless, mobile smart speaker integrated with advanced AI capabilities. Sources familiar with the project, currently under development, describe the device as a 'humanlike AI companion' intended to reside within the home, capable of syncing with ChatGPT and offering various AI home services.
The device is said to depart significantly from conventional smart speakers. It is reportedly designed with a distinct 'personality' and the ability to proactively learn about its owner over time, thereby providing increasingly personalised services. This personalisation could involve accessing a user's digital life, including information from emails, according to reports. Intriguingly, the device is also described as incorporating 'mechanical elements that can move on their own', aiming to 'feel like a companion and become a physical manifestation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT'.
This push into hardware comes amidst an ongoing legal dispute with Apple, which last week filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing its trade secrets. Apple has indicated that these allegations are merely the 'tip of the iceberg', with more misconduct expected to surface during the legal discovery process. OpenAI has denied any wrongdoing. Despite the legal challenges, OpenAI reportedly believes its new product 'veers significantly from anything Apple has on the market today', making it 'unlikely that it violates trade secrets' belonging to Apple.
The development team for this new device reportedly includes many former Apple engineers who previously contributed to the creation of products such as the iPhone and Mac. This suggests OpenAI may be aiming to establish a new hardware line, potentially placing it in competition with established tech giants. The company has long expressed an interest in hardware, with previous speculation centring on the possibility of an OpenAI-branded smartphone.
OpenAI's foray into consumer hardware reflects a growing excitement across the wider tech industry for AI-powered devices. Other companies, such as Hark, an AI lab founded by Brett Adcock, have recently secured substantial funding to develop 'personal intelligence' – proprietary AI models paired with custom hardware designed as a 'universal interface between humans and machines'. This surge in investment highlights the significant capital flowing into this emerging product category, even before many of these devices reach the market.