Bloomberg reported that the speaker is designed to move around the home rather than stay fixed in one place. A built-in battery would allow it to operate away from a wall outlet, giving it a more flexible role than a standard countertop speaker.
The product is also expected to avoid a traditional display. According to the additional report, the device would rely on a camera and other sensors to understand what is happening around it, while using GPT-Live, OpenAI’s upgraded voice model. That would make voice, environmental awareness and real-time interaction central to the product’s design.
The hardware effort is being developed with former Apple designer Jony Ive. OpenAI acquired io, a company co-founded by Ive and Tang Tan, last year. The additional report said the speaker is one of about five hardware products in development following OpenAI’s roughly $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products.
OpenAI is also reportedly trying to make the speaker feel more lifelike. Bloomberg said the device will include motorized parts that can move on their own, an approach meant to give the product a more humanlike presence.
The report arrives as OpenAI faces legal pressure from Apple. Apple filed a lawsuit in California less than a week earlier, accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets tied to its hardware development work. Tan is named as one of the key figures in Apple’s lawsuit.
OpenAI responded to the lawsuit by saying it is “not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit,” according to the additional article. The case remains at the filing stage, and no ruling has been issued.
Bloomberg reported that OpenAI could preview the speaker later this year before launching it in 2027. The timing could change depending on how the Apple litigation unfolds.
The device would mark a significant move for OpenAI beyond software and subscriptions. The company’s reported hardware plan puts ChatGPT-style AI into a dedicated home device, with the speaker positioned less as a passive command receiver and more as an AI companion that can see, hear, respond and adapt over time.
OpenAI also has a smaller hardware release arriving sooner. The additional article said Codex Micro, a Codex-branded gadget built with Work Louder, is scheduled to release on July 15.
This analysis is based on reporting from Bloomberg & Yahoo Tech.
Image courtesy of The Verge.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
