OpenAI is preparing to enter the consumer hardware market with a portable, screenless smart speaker designed to act as an AI companion in the home, Bloomberg reported. The device, meant to bring the company’s ChatGPT technology into a physical form, marks OpenAI’s first major push beyond software.
Unlike conventional smart speakers, the device will include cameras, environmental sensors and moving parts, enabling it to observe its surroundings, identify objects and understand nearby conversations. It will also offer facial recognition, similar to Apple’s Face ID, to authenticate purchases and personalize user interactions. OpenAI developers have described the intended experience as “peaceful and calm,” with the speaker handling tasks hands-free so users can focus on other activities.
The company is reportedly collaborating with famed designer Jony Ive, whose hardware startup OpenAI acquired in a multibillion-dollar deal. More than 200 employees are said to be focused on the hardware effort. Bloomberg’s reporting indicates OpenAI aims to unveil the speaker in 2026 and launch it commercially in 2027, with an expected retail price between $200 and $300.
OpenAI’s move positions it against established smart home players such as Amazon and Apple. While Echo and HomePod devices act primarily as assistants or audio hubs, OpenAI envisions its product as a new “third pillar” of personal computing, complementing laptops and smartphones by providing an always-on AI presence in the home.
The company is also exploring additional hardware, including AI-powered smart glasses and a prototype smart lamp, though those products are farther from mass production. OpenAI executives have signaled confidence in the timeline despite ongoing legal tensions with Apple over alleged trade secret theft, a dispute that Bloomberg’s reporting says has not derailed development plans.
Privacy advocates and regulators may scrutinize the device’s sensing and recognition capabilities, raising questions about data collection, storage and user control. OpenAI will need to address those concerns as it moves from research and cloud-based models into devices present in people’s homes.
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