OpenAI's first device is a screenless speaker built to 'feel alive'

OpenAI's debut hardware product will be a portable, screenless smart speaker pitched internally as a "humanlike AI companion that lives in the home," per a Bloomberg report. The device pairs a camera and sensors with OpenAI's new GPT-Live voice model, runs on a rechargeable battery, and uses "mechanical elements that can move on their own" to connect with users. It handles smart home controls, media, questions, and messages, and can proactively learn about its owner by tapping into emails and other digital context. OpenAI describes it as a "new type of home computer for the AI era," with a targeted 2027 launch. The reveal comes days after Apple sued OpenAI over alleged hardware trade-secret theft, and the device was developed with help from former Apple engineers who worked on the iPhone and Mac.

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