OpenAI is developing a screenless smart speaker with a camera and AI-driven mechanical elements that will let users interact with ChatGPT, scheduled to launch in 2027.
The device is part of OpenAI's broader hardware strategy involving roughly five products, designed in collaboration with former Apple designer Jony Ive.
The speaker will handle smart home controls, media playback, and messaging using OpenAI's GPT-Live voice model.
What happened
OpenAI is developing a screenless smart speaker that users can talk to via ChatGPT, equipped with a camera and sensors to understand the environment, rechargeable battery, and mechanical elements that move on their own. The device will use GPT-Live, OpenAI's upgraded voice model, and is planned to launch in 2027 as part of a broader hardware lineup of roughly five devices.
Why it matters
OpenAI's entry into consumer hardware signals the company's push beyond software into physical products that integrate ChatGPT into everyday spaces. The smart speaker with environmental awareness could reshape how people interact with AI at home, similar to how smart speakers changed voice assistance—though the mechanical moving elements suggest OpenAI is betting on a more physically expressive form of AI interaction than existing competitors offer.
What to watch
The speaker is scheduled to launch in 2027. OpenAI is collaborating with former Apple designer Jony Ive, following its acquisition of his design company, io Products, for nearly $6.5 billion（約1兆円）. The company is also releasing a separate Codex gadget called the Codex Micro on July 15th.
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OpenAI's move into consumer hardware marks a significant shift for the company from pure software and API services into the physical device market. The choice of a smart speaker as the first device aligns with the existing installed base of voice assistants in homes worldwide, but OpenAI's emphasis on mechanical elements that move on their own suggests a differentiation strategy—moving beyond passive voice interaction toward a more embodied, physically expressive form of AI presence. The integration of GPT-Live, announced last week, indicates the company sees voice as central to its hardware vision.
The partnership with Jony Ive, Apple's legendary former design chief, signals OpenAI's seriousness about hardware aesthetics and user experience at a level comparable to consumer electronics leaders. The $6.5 billion（約1兆円） acquisition of io Products was explicitly framed as securing Ive's design talent; this smart speaker announcement validates that investment. The roughly five-device hardware roadmap suggests OpenAI is not treating this as a one-off experiment but as a foundational pillar of its future strategy, though the 2027 timeline means the products remain more than two years away from consumer availability.
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