OpenAI’s first AI hardware product is a screen-free smart mobile speaker, reports Bloomberg. The device is at the heart of a new dispute with Apple, with Apple accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets that helped develop the product.
OpenAI’s speaker-like product is designed to “serve as a human-like AI companion who lives at home,” according to Bloomberg. It will be able to control smart home accessories, answer questions, play media, respond to messages and much more, with the ChatGPT-powered device. It aims 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 be able to “connect on a human level with users.” It has mechanical elements that can move on their own, to give the impression that the device is alive. There is also a camera that allows it to understand a user’s surroundings. The AI product includes a rechargeable battery and can be carried from room to room.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive have repeatedly teased the device, suggesting it would have “incredible contextual awareness” of a user’s life and describing it as a new type of computer designed for AI. Both suggested the prototypes were “breathtaking” and “exciting.”
In a lawsuit filed against OpenAI for theft of trade secrets, Apple claims that OpenAI used its confidential information to develop the AI device, including access to a proprietary metal finishing technique. “OpenAI’s burgeoning hardware business now rests on the flimsiest of foundations, rotten to the core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets,” Apple’s filing reads.
People familiar with the project said Bloomberg that the device is unlike anything Apple offers on the market today, and that it is “unlikely” to violate Apple’s trade secrets. Although Apple has the HomePod and HomePod mini speakers, OpenAI does not consider Apple’s speakers comparable to its hardware product.
Apple is also working on a home hub that resembles what OpenAI is developing. Apple’s smart home hub is rumored to have a 7-inch square screen, a speaker, a camera for video chats and facial recognition, as well as Siri AI integration.
Early rumors suggested that OpenAI’s hardware device could be released as early as 2026, but it is now not expected to launch until 2027. OpenAI could unveil the AI product this year before its 2027 release, but the Apple lawsuit could change the timeline. Apple has requested a court injunction, and if granted, OpenAI could be barred from publishing any material.
