OpenAI's first device could basically be a ChatGPT-powered Echo Show
There's still a lot of mystery surrounding the launch of OpenAI's hardware
Quick summary
In a recent interview, OpenAI confirmed it's working on a family of devices that are launching soon.
When asked if the first device needed a screen, the answer was to wait an see. Speculation is that OpenAI will launch a smart speaker.
Ever since Jony Ive and Sam Altman announced that they were working together, speculation has been rife about what the result might be.
Jony Ive is best known for his design work at Apple - he's a hardware guy - while Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. That hardware and AI software puzzle might have something of a solution, thanks to a recent interview from Joanna Stern.
Stern talks to Greg Brockman, OpenAI's company president about a wide range of things, but focuses in on hardware at one point during the interview. Brockman responds that "we are building a family of devices".
When asked whether this device "needs a screen", the response is "we'll just have to see". That's neither a confirmation nor a denial, but the emphasis on not being limited to voice suggests that it's more than just a microphone and speaker pairing.
Brockman was keen to emphasise that this isn't about one device, it's about delivering experience across a range of devices because that's how they get value out of their own silicon that they are developing. The company previously-announced Jalapeño, developed with Broadcom, which is aimed at data centres, with the hardware for personal devices still to be revealed.
So the best guess that we can take out of the interview follows current speculation that Jony Ive is designing a family of speakers and that might include a screen on one of them, which sounds like an Echo Show running ChatGPT.
Brockman wouldn't be drawn on a date, only saying "you should expect them soon". That "soon" timeline from Brockman could see an announcement in 2026, although we've previously heard that shipping wouldn't happen until February 2027. The discussion starts at around 6:30 in the video.
We've previously seen speculation that the first OpenAI device would basically be a wearable device, like the Humane AI Pin. The fate of Humane might have caused a pause for thought, as the device was discontinued. It was also speculated that OpenAI might launch earbuds, but that was shot down by Tang Tan from Open AI.
A phone with no apps has been suggested, but everything is rounding on a device that might fit in your pocket or have on your desk, with a report saying it is a speaker, lamp and glasses are coming.
If nothing else, OpenAI is revelling in the fact that no one knows what the result might be. From the outset there's been talk of a completely new type of device, so there's no shortage of expectation.
With Apple expected to unveil a screen-based HomePod soon, it might be that we'll see Ive and Altman make the big reveal in the not too distant future.
