OpenAI reportedly to launch AI speaker within a year, with a top former Apple executive personally designing it

Latest news indicates that OpenAI plans to launch its first AI speaker equipped with a camera in 2027, while also expanding into hardware products such as smart glasses and smart desk lamps.

According to tech media The Information, OpenAI is actively developing a range of AI-powered hardware devices, including smart glasses, smart desk lamps, and the smart speaker expected to be launched first.

Currently, more than 200 employees within OpenAI are working full-time on hardware development. Although ChatGPT has achieved some success on the software side, OpenAI’s ambition to create its own physical hardware has long been no secret.

The smart speaker is expected to retail between $200 and $300 (approximately 13,820 to 20,730 RMB), with shipments possibly beginning as early as early 2027.

This anticipated first-release AI smart speaker will have a design concept that is completely different from existing products like the HomePod or Nest Audio.

Reports say the speaker will be equipped with a “camera lens” to better capture and understand surrounding environmental information. Insiders reveal that the device can not only continuously listen to nearby conversations but also recognize objects on the desk or within its field of view.

Additionally, the camera will support facial recognition features similar to FaceID, allowing users to verify their identity or even make payments through “face scanning.”

As for smart glasses, since Meta currently dominates that market, OpenAI expects to release related products only by 2028. While the prototype of the smart desk lamp has been completed, whether it will enter mass production remains uncertain.

To ensure the quality of hardware design and user experience, OpenAI invested up to $6.5 billion last year to acquire io, a design company co-founded by former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive. Ive will lead the overall style of hardware design.

Jony Ive and Tim Cook

Ive worked at Apple for over 20 years and is considered one of the company’s most important figures. He is the primary designer and conceptualizer behind many Apple products, including the MacBook Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad, and has frequently participated in product presentations for Apple.

However, developing AI hardware suitable for large-scale mass production is no easy task. Reports indicate that OpenAI’s projects have been delayed multiple times due to challenges in technical integration, the computing power and supply chain pressures required for large-scale AI devices, and most critically, privacy and security issues.

(Article source: Cailian Press)