“OpenAI has more than 200 people working on a family of AI powered devices,” Reuters said. The line up is expected to include a smart speaker, and possibly smart glasses and a smart lamp. The project is the company’s most ambitious attempt so far, to move from chat windows into people’s homes.
The smart speaker is expected to be the first device released. Reuters said it is likely to cost between $200 and $300 and would not ship until February 2027 at the earliest. The speaker would contain a camera that can take in information about users and their surroundings.
Impact Newswire said the device would watch, listen and respond using artificial intelligence. The Information said it would have a built in camera capable of recognising faces and identifying objects. The project has not been publicly announced yet, though.
Why Is Privacy A Concern?
The privacy debate is based on the fact that this speaker, on top of just responding to voice commands, it would also observe its environment. A camera equipped device placed in a kitchen, bedroom or living room would process visual and audio data inside private homes. That prospect raises unease about digital surveillance.
Impact Newswire put it directly: “For OpenAI, the question is not whether AI can converse fluently on a screen. It is whether people will invite it into their bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms, allow it to watch and listen, and trust that the convenience outweighs the intrusion.” The report added that in the “crowded graveyard of ambitious gadgets, the company’s secret device will have to prove it is more than another voice in the room.”
Recent events show how quickly public opinion can turn. Impact Newswire said that Ring, owned by Amazon, faced criticism after a Super Bowl advertisement promoted a feature that allowed security camera feeds to scan an entire neighbourhood. Critics described the concept as “Orwellian”, and customers reportedly disconnected their devices in protest. A camera inside a general purpose AI assistant may face similar backlash.
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How Does It Compare With Rivals?
OpenAI entered hardware with the $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, a startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, Reuters said. The deal came as the company sought to capitalise on demand for physical AI and augmented reality.
Other companies have already tested the market. Meta has reported success with its Ray Ban smart glasses, which allow users to record, take pictures and stream content through small cameras. Apple and Google are also reportedly developing their own smart glasses, Reuters said.
Impact Newswire said many AI powered gadgets released over the past two years were met with scepticism or frustration. Pendants designed to listen constantly and wearable pins marketed as smartphone replacements failed to win over buyers. It also said Amazon introduced a revamped version of its AI powered Alexa assistant last year in what critics described as a barely half finished state, and the launch did not alter its trajectory in voice computing.
Is This About Revenue As Well As Technology?
The hardware effort comes as OpenAI searches for new income. Impact Newswire said the company has been losing billions of dollars per quarter as it invests heavily in computing infrastructure and research. It has also begun incorporating advertising into certain offerings, even though Chief Executive Sam Altman previously described ads as a “last resort.”
Bringing a new device to market may prove difficult. The Financial Times reported in October that OpenAI’s partnership with Ive encountered “technical issues,” delaying the first product’s release from last year to this year. The latest Reuters timeline suggests further obstacles, with shipping not expected until 2027 at the earliest.
The question is whether consumers will accept a camera equipped assistant in their homes in exchange for convenience. OpenAI’s brand power through ChatGPT gives it visibility that many hardware startups lacked. Whether that trust extends to a device designed to watch and listen inside private spaces will determine if this project becomes a commercial success or another experiment that fails to resonate.
