OpenAI is developing a range of devices that integrate ChatGPT: smart speakers, smart glasses, voice recorders, and wearables. The company relies on former Apple suppliers and is interested in poaching employees.
OpenAI is collaborating with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on several AI devices that will directly integrate ChatGPT. According to a recent report, the company is considering developing a displayless smart speaker, glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable brooch. The first devices could launch as early as late 2026 or early 2027.
The first device will be pocket-sized, screenless, and contextually aware, gathering information through a built-in camera and microphone. OpenAI's goal is to create an ecosystem of "AI-native" devices designed specifically for AI models.
Acquiring Apple Suppliers as Partners
According to The Information, OpenAI relies on the same suppliers as Apple for production. The company has already signed a contract with Luxshare Precision, a major manufacturer and supplier of iPhones and AirPods. OpenAI is also in talks with Goertek, which manufactures HomePods, AirPods, and the Apple Watch for Apple.
These partnerships are intended to give OpenAI access to established manufacturing capabilities. Luxshare Precision is considered one of Apple's largest contract manufacturers, producing millions of devices annually. Goertek, on the other hand, has become an expert in audio hardware and wearables.
Apple's Targeted Poaching
OpenAI has also recently been systematically poaching Apple employees. Since announcing its partnership with Jony Ive, it has recruited over two dozen former Apple employees from its consumer hardware division. These include hardware engineers and designers from user interface, wearables, camera, and audio engineering. According to insiders, many of the new hires have expressed a passion for working on innovative projects rather than Apple's more iterative product development.
In May 2024, OpenAI acquired Jony Ive's startup, io Products, for $6.4 billion (approximately €5.4 billion). The company was co-founded by Ive along with former Apple executives such as Tan Dun and Evans Hankey. Tan Dun oversaw the design of the iPhone and Apple Watch at Apple, while Hankey led the hardware design department.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced internally an ambitious goal of selling 100 million devices, reaching that milestone faster than any other company before. By comparison, it took Apple about four years to sell 100 million iPhones. It took Tesla more than a decade to achieve that milestone with its electric vehicles.
