OpenAI is developing a new smart speaker that will turn its presence on a computer screen to a physical manifestation of its ChatGPT.
OpenAI’s much-anticipated push into consumer devices is slated to begin with a mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the artificial intelligence era, according to people familiar with the matter.
The product — still under development — is meant to serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn’t been announced. It will help control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages and tap into the range of capabilities offered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, they said.
The device represents a critical next step for OpenAI, a top developer of AI models that is poised for an initial public offering in the coming months. The move will vault the company into deeper competition with the likes of Apple, Amazon and Alphabet’s Google, and the push has already met some resistance.
(Reporting based on Bloomberg-sourced coverage republished by The Japan Times, July 15, 2026. Additional industry context from Techmeme/Bloomberg: OpenAI still believes it is on track to unveil its first device in 2026 and release it in 2027; Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit may complicate hiring and supply chains. The device is described as movable, screen-free, with camera and sensors, meant as a humanlike AI companion.)