OpenAI aims to ship its first device in 2026, and it could be earbuds

OpenAI has created a lot of hype around the hardware in the past year then The startup has been acquired by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. While the company is keeping mum about the upcoming product, Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, said in an interview Session hosted by Axios in Davos The AI ​​startup is on track to announce its first device in the second half of this year.

Last November, Altman described the potential device as more “peaceful and quiet” than iPhones. Previous reports indicate that the company wants to build A screen-free, pocketable device.

While the company is not spilling any details, the latest reports from Asian Publications and Dropouts It is suggested that OpenAI’s first device could be a pair of earbuds. According to reports, this device is codenamed “Sweet Pea” and will have a unique design compared to existing earbuds. The earbuds could run on a custom 2nm processor and handle AI tasks locally instead of sending requests to the cloud.

A Separate report A major Taiwanese newspaper reported that OpenAI was exploring the possibility of partnering with Chinese manufacturing company Luxshare, but may ultimately lean towards Taiwan’s Foxconn. The report also said that in the first year of sales, OpenAI aims to ship between 40 to 50 million units.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has nearly 1 billion weekly users, but the company has to rely on other devices and platforms for distribution. Through its own device, it may want to have greater control over the development and distribution of the AI ​​assistant as well as launch exclusive, purpose-built features.

However, replacing existing earbuds like AirPods in users’ daily lives will be difficult if there is no strong integration with operating systems.

Until now, there has been no notable success story for an AI device. Last year, Humane Pin was sold to HP. The Rabbit is still forging ahead after the initial hype for 2024. And AI Friend Necklace She received quick backlash for her marketing tactics.

However, major tech companies are making moves into wearables. Meta’s Ray-Ban sunglasses are increasingly improving in range and size to the point that the maker of Facebook Can’t keep up with demand. And aMazzone recently acquired Beean AI-powered meeting recorder who can act as an attendant.