OpenAI is betting that the future of AI isn’t just software you type at. Bloomberg reports the company is developing its first major piece of hardware: a screenless smart speaker that leans heavily on cameras and environmental sensors to let you converse with ChatGPT in a more humanlike way. The target release date is 2027, and it’s apparently just one piece of a larger hardware push.
The device sounds like an Echo on steroids — but one that can see. It will use GPT-Live, the upgraded voice model OpenAI announced just last week, to handle media playback, smart home controls, messaging, and general questions. A rechargeable battery means you won’t be tethered to a wall outlet. More intriguingly, Bloomberg’s sources say the gadget will include “mechanical elements that can move on their own” to foster a deeper connection with users. That detail echoes a February report from The Information about a camera-equipped device capable of recognizing objects and people nearby.
The hardware ambitions are unfolding against a messy backdrop. Just days ago, Apple filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of poaching hardware secrets. OpenAI responded Tuesday by calling the complaint meritless, stating they’re “not aware of any evidence” to support it. The timing is awkward at best, especially given that OpenAI is working with Jony Ive — yes, that Jony Ive — following a nearly $6.5 billion acquisition of his design firm, io Products.
Five devices are reportedly in the pipeline. A 2027 launch for the speaker puts it years behind Amazon and Google in the smart home race, but OpenAI seems to be betting that a fundamentally more conversational, visually aware assistant changes the value proposition entirely. The question isn’t whether they can build it. It’s whether anyone still wants another gadget on their counter by the time it ships. Meanwhile, the company is already teasing a separate hardware play: the Codex Micro, made with Work Louder, drops July 15th.
