OpenAI’s first device is said to be a screenless speaker that can move

OpenAI’s first foray into hardware was reported to be a mobile smart speaker with integrated AI capabilities that could sync with ChatGPT and provide other home AI services.

Bloomberg I mentioned Tuesday announced that the device — which is currently still in development — is designed to be screen-free and offered internally as a “human-like AI companion living in the home.”

OpenAI has long claimed that it wants to launch a hardware product – with some rumors suggesting it wants to launch its own phone, a move that would put it in competition with Apple.

The newly debuted OpenAI device appears to be a departure from traditional smart speakers — with sources describing the device to Bloomberg as having a “personality” and able to proactively learn about its owner over time, providing a more personalized service. The device will have access to the user’s digital life, pulling things like emails, sources said.

The device is also bizarrely described as having “mechanical elements that can move on their own,” and the Bloomberg report includes details that the device is designed to “feel like a companion and become a physical manifestation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.”

The device was developed with the help of several former Apple engineers who were instrumental in “creating products like the iPhone and Mac,” Bloomberg writes. In fact, OpenAI may be trying to launch a new line of devices, but the company is currently facing an issue of legal issues related to the devices.

apple He filed a lawsuit against OpenAI last weekThe artificial intelligence company was accused of stealing its trade secrets. Apple further claimed that the allegations in the lawsuit are merely… “Tip of the Iceberg” More misconduct will be uncovered during the legal discovery process. OpenAI has denied any wrongdoing.

Citing anonymous sources familiar with OpenAI’s plans, Bloomberg wrote that the company feels its new product “deviates significantly from anything Apple has on the market today” and that it is “unlikely to violate Apple’s trade secrets.”

The OpenAI push comes as the tech world grows more excited about consumer AI devices more broadly. Hark, an artificial intelligence lab founded by Brett Adcock, raised an oversubscribed $700 million Series A round in May at $6 billion valuation To build what she calls “personal intelligence” — proprietary AI models paired with custom hardware designed to be a “universal interface between humans and machines.”

The company has yet to detail the form factor of its devices, underscoring how much capital is chasing the category even before the products ship.