OpenAI is reportedly hard at work developing a range of AI-powered devices, including smart glasses, smart speakers, and smart lamps. According to the report of The AI company has a team of over 200 employees dedicated to the project.
It is reported that the first product to be released will be a smart speaker that will include a camera, which will allow it to better absorb information about its users and surroundings. According to a person familiar with the project, this will extend to identifying objects on nearby tables as well as conversations taking place around the speaker. The camera will also support a facial recognition feature similar to Apple’s Face ID that will enable users to authenticate purchases.
The speaker is expected to retail for between $200 and $300 and ship in early 2027 at the earliest. Reporting indicates that the company’s AI-powered smart glasses, which it currently dominates, won’t arrive until 2028. As for the smart lamp, while prototypes have been made, it is unclear whether it will actually be brought to market.
Last year, OpenAI’s ex-Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup io Products raised $6.5 billion. Ive is considered largely responsible for Apple’s design aesthetics, having been involved in designing nearly every major Apple device since joining the company in the 90s before his departure in 2019. Their acquisition sets the stage for Ive to lead hardware product development for OpenAI.
Since the partnership was formed, technical issues, privacy concerns, and logistical issues already exist around the computing power required to run a mass-produced AI device. Whoever the giants behind the project, the speaker and other future products may still have to face a consumer who is always listening and watching its users.
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