OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is quietly building a slew of hardware products. The AI company has reportedly assembled a team of more than 200 people working on a family of AI-powered devices that will include a smart speaker, and possibly smart glasses and even a smart lamp, according to The Information.
The initiative follows OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of former Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup io Products, aiming to capitalise on the growing demand for physical AI and augmented reality. Ive, who defined Apple’s design language for decades, is now making the final call on nearly all design choices for the new hardware lineup.
OpenAI is working on a Smart Speaker
The first device, a smart speaker, is designed to passively observe its surroundings and deliver context-aware responses through ChatGPT, enabling features such as automated grocery ordering based on object recognition and personalised advice drawn from real-time environmental data.
The speaker goes significantly further than existing smart home devices. It has an integrated camera designed to learn information about who is using it and what’s around them, and will include a facial recognition feature similar to Apple’s Face ID, enabling users to authenticate purchases.
In an internal presentation, OpenAI employees were reportedly told the speaker would observe users and suggest actions to help them achieve goals, such as recommending an early bedtime ahead of a morning meeting.
The speaker is expected to retail for between $200 and $300 and ship in early 2027 at the earliest.
OpenAI also building smart glasses and a smart lamp
Beyond the speaker, the device family is broader. The company may also introduce smart glasses, potentially not ready for mass production until 2028, and a smart lamp, though prototypes exist for the latter and its commercial release remains uncertain.
The foray into smart glasses puts OpenAI in direct competition with some of the biggest names in tech. Meta has seen strong success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which allow users to record, take pictures, and stream content. Apple and Google are also reportedly working on their own smart glasses.
Apple’s DNA, OpenAI’s ambition
The hardware push carries the unmistakable fingerprints of Apple’s former talent. Former Apple designer Evans Hankey is leading industrial design, while other former Apple employees working at OpenAI on hardware include Tang Tan and Scott Cannon. Ive and CEO Sam Altman have previously described their vision for the device as “peaceful,” meant to make people “feel joy,” and notably free of a screen.
The camera-equipped, always-listening speaker has already drawn scrutiny. Privacy concerns have emerged as a major talking point, as the always-on camera and microphone raise serious questions about how OpenAI would store and process user data – particularly in private spaces like living rooms.
