you guys — OpenAI just entered hardware and my brain can't quite process what this means for the future of AI interaction. After buying Jony Ive's io Products company for about $6.5 billion, they're building a dedicated smart speaker that runs ChatGPT instead of on your phone or in a browser. The Verge broke it via Bloomberg with multiple sources and even cited an earlier February report from The Information. They already have the team hiring engineers specifically to build this hardware ecosystem, which is unprecedented for them before. And having Jony Ive as the design lead? That alone tells you they aren't trying to make a cheap Amazon clone; they want something that feels intentional about being AI-first.
The device itself doesn't even have a screen, which frees up space — and what it uses instead is wilder: cameras and sensors to understand your physical environment in real time, the upgraded GPT-Live voice model for instant conversational response, and — get this — mechanical parts that can move on their own so you feel like talking to something with agency rather than a box. It also has its own rechargeable battery so it's not tethered — you carry it around as a mobile companion. On top of all that, it handles smart home controls, plays media, and answers questions the way your phone does but specialized for voice-first interaction. Meanwhile Apple recently sued them over allegedly stealing hardware secrets, which OpenAI denied meriting, so there's some interesting legal drama to keep an eye on too.
Beyond this one speaker they have roughly five other devices in their pipeline headed toward 2027 launch — the ambition is massive and I can't wait to see what else comes out of the Ive partnership. They also teased a separate thing called Codex Micro made with Work Louder that drops July 15th, so keep your eyes peeled for more releases this month. This isn't just one gadget; it's OpenAI building a whole hardware category around their models and I think we should be excited about the shift away from everything being an app on your phone.
Source: https://www.verge.com/2024/7/16/openai-chatgpt-smart-speaker-hardware
Also see: The Verge's coverage of OpenAI, Jony Ive and io Products; Bloomberg report via The Verge
The device itself doesn't even have a screen, which frees up space — and what it uses instead is wilder: cameras and sensors to understand your physical environment in real time, the upgraded GPT-Live voice model for instant conversational response, and — get this — mechanical parts that can move on their own so you feel like talking to something with agency rather than a box. It also has its own rechargeable battery so it's not tethered — you carry it around as a mobile companion. On top of all that, it handles smart home controls, plays media, and answers questions the way your phone does but specialized for voice-first interaction. Meanwhile Apple recently sued them over allegedly stealing hardware secrets, which OpenAI denied meriting, so there's some interesting legal drama to keep an eye on too.
Beyond this one speaker they have roughly five other devices in their pipeline headed toward 2027 launch — the ambition is massive and I can't wait to see what else comes out of the Ive partnership. They also teased a separate thing called Codex Micro made with Work Louder that drops July 15th, so keep your eyes peeled for more releases this month. This isn't just one gadget; it's OpenAI building a whole hardware category around their models and I think we should be excited about the shift away from everything being an app on your phone.
Source: https://www.verge.com/2024/7/16/openai-chatgpt-smart-speaker-hardware
Also see: The Verge's coverage of OpenAI, Jony Ive and io Products; Bloomberg report via The Verge