OpenAI confirms a family of AI hardware devices

OpenAI is preparing a family of hardware devices designed to let people communicate with its AI models, not just a single gadget. Greg Brockman, the company’s president, did not reveal what the products will look like, but suggested that the wait may be short.

“In the near future.”

Brockman also described the direction OpenAI is pursuing: a future in which people speak to computers more often than they type on keyboards. He did not confirm reports of a smart speaker allegedly planned for 2027, and declined to comment on rumors of a wearable device.

OpenAI’s hardware plans remain undisclosed

The company has not announced specific form factors, pricing, or release dates. Brockman’s comments leave open whether OpenAI is preparing one initial product or several devices intended to form a broader hardware lineup.

He was also asked about the legal dispute between Apple and OpenAI. Brockman said OpenAI is focused on its own work and does not intend to access or interfere with other companies' commercial secrets.

That answer carries extra weight because OpenAI is developing hardware with Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief designer. As a result, any mention of Apple quickly turns the project into a story about a potential consumer device, not only an extension of OpenAI’s software.

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Why OpenAI is moving into hardware

The consumer electronics industry has spent years looking for an AI-first device that could make voice interaction as natural as smartphones made internet access. Several recent attempts have struggled:

• Humane AI Pin failed to win over buyers.
• Rabbit R1 was widely seen as closer to a demonstration of the concept than a finished category-defining product.
• Meta’s smart glasses have found a more durable position through their camera, audio features, and connection to Meta’s ecosystem.

OpenAI enters with an advantage many hardware startups lack: ChatGPT’s large existing audience and users already accustomed to speaking with a model conversationally. The company says its service is used by hundreds of millions of people, providing a substantial potential base for a voice-first device with persistent AI access.

The goal may not be to replace the smartphone. A more likely direction, based on the source’s description, is a device that works alongside it and creates a new interaction layer around the user. Multiple form factors could help OpenAI determine where that interface works best: at home, in a pocket, on a wrist, or in a small device that stays nearby and rarely requires a keyboard.

Brockman gave no timetable. The central unanswered question is whether “a family of devices” means one concept shown in stages or a full product line competing with smart speakers, glasses, and other attempts to make AI physical.

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