Report: OpenAI and Jony Ive are working on a small smart speaker

In short: A report says OpenAI and former Apple designer Jony Ive are developing a small, battery-powered smart speaker that could launch in 2027.

What happened

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, cited by The Verge, says OpenAI is working on a new gadget with Jony Ive. Ive is best known for helping design many Apple products.

The reported device is “essentially a smart speaker without a display.” Think of something like an Amazon Echo, but without a screen and designed mainly for talking and listening. Gurman says it is doughnut-shaped and about the size of a hockey puck.

The report says it will run on a battery and should be easy to carry around the house with one hand. It may work a lot like ChatGPT’s voice mode on a phone, where you talk out loud and the assistant answers back, but using more advanced AI systems for more natural conversation.

Gurman also reports the device could include lights, a camera system, and other sensors. Sensors are small parts that help a device notice things around it, like movement or sound. Some parts may move on their own to show when it is responding, like a physical “I’m listening” sign.

The device is expected to cost more than $300 and launch next year, which would mean 2027, according to the report. Gurman’s sources suggest it could be the first in a larger “family of devices” from OpenAI.

Why it matters

If the report is accurate, OpenAI may be trying to make ChatGPT easier to use without pulling out a phone or opening an app. For regular people, that could mean a new option for a voice assistant at home, with privacy questions to consider if it includes cameras and sensors.

Source: The Verge AI