OpenAI isn’t content with just being the team behind ChatGPT, Dall-E, Sora, and other software products. It wants to enter the hardware market too, and that shouldn’t really come as a huge surprise.
In September last year, industry sources indicated that OpenAI was developing a whole lineup of hardware products. That came soon after the company had acquired Jony Ive-led hardware startup io.
At the time, reports indicated that the AI giant was developing a pin-like wearable device, smart glasses, and even a smart speaker. The latter of the three now seems closer to reality, with the company reportedly assigning a team of over 200 to hardware projects.
According to a new report from TheInformation, OpenAI is hard at work developing a smart speaker that will reportedly sport a built-in camera capable of identifying objects, users, and surroundings. This would not only help the smart speaker answer queries in the context of its surroundings, but it should also allow for Apple-like FaceID authentication for purchases.
Similarly, the speaker might not wait for a wake word. The report suggests that the device is being built to track and understand ambient conversations in its immediate surroundings, giving it close to ‘always-on’ capabilities. How exactly the AI giant will prevent (and skirt) privacy concerns that may arise with a built-in camera and a device that’s always listenting remains to be seen.
A premium price point for the smart speaker
The smart speaker—the first device OpenAI will release—is likely to be priced between $200 and $300, according to two people with knowledge of it. The speaker will have a camera, enabling it to take in information about its users and their surroundings, such as items on a nearby table or conversations people are having in the vicinity, according to one of the people. It will also allow people to buy things by identifying them with a facial recognition feature similar to Apple’s Face ID, the people said.
The device, which will reportedly be priced between $200 and $300 will not arrive this year. OpenAI’s roadmap targets early 2027 for the device’s eventual release. A release timeline for the AI giant’s ‘pin’ isn’t given, while its AI smartglasses could arrive some time in 2028.
Would you buy smart home and wearable devices made by OpenAI? Let us know in the comments below!
