OpenAI ready to launch ChatGPT AI smart speaker, here’s how much it could cost
It is being said that OpenAI has been working on AI-hardware devices for some time. A new report hints that the Sam Altman-led startup’s first product could be an AI smart speaker with a camera. Here are all the details.
Last year, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPIT, brought on former Apple designer, Jony Ive, to design AI-powered hardware products. The Sam Altman-led AI startup has been eyeing hardware devices for some time now, as the company struggles to generate more revenue.
Now, according to a new report, OpenAI’s first device could be a smartspeaker with inbuilt cameras. Here are all the details.
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How will OpenAI’s smart speaker work?
According to the information, OpenAI is reportedly planning to release a smart speaker as its first hardware device. The device will likely have a built-in camera. This will give the device a clearer sense of its surroundings, and will be able to identify objects and potentially even users – such as objects on a nearby table or conversations of people nearby.
The speaker will be designed by Jony Ive who is leading the design team at OpenAI. Ive’s design startup io was acquired by the Sam Altman-led startup in May 2025 for $6.5 billion. According to the report, 200 employees are working on OpenAI’s hardware projects.
The report also suggests that in addition to features like answering questions and interacting with AI through a speaker, users may get to use facial recognition to unlock the device or make purchases, similar to Apple’s FaceID.
This could enable users to make purchases directly through the device, streamlining the shopping experience, but could also raise questions about the security and management of biometric data.
What about privacy?
Unlike many existing smart speakers, which wait for a wake-up word, OpenAI’s product is presumably designed for constant listening and observation. Reports suggest that the speaker will be “built to track and sense conversations taking place in its surroundings, giving it close to ‘always-on’ capabilities.”
This may also include scenarios where the speaker recognizes that the user is staying up late at night before an important exam or meeting. This may also raise questions on user privacy. However, it is unclear how OpenAI plans to deal with this issue right now.
OpenAI smart speaker launch and expected price
OpenAI is reportedly not planning to release a smart speaker before early 2027. According to the report, the price of this smart speaker could be between $200 (approximately Rs 18,000) and $300 (approximately Rs 27,000) in the US.
The company’s roadmap also possibly includes developing other devices like smart glasses and smart lamps, but their fate is unclear. The company is also expected to be working on an in-ear audio device, codenamed “Sweetpea.”
OpenAI’s foray into hardware comes at a time when other tech giants are taking similar steps. Apple is rumored to be developing its own range of AI-powered gadgets, including smart glasses, AI pendants, and AirPods with cameras.
