OpenAI's Secret Device: A Puck-Sized Smart Speaker

According to Bloomberg, OpenAI is preparing its own device, considered the first step toward a new hardware ecosystem. The first gadget will be a small smart speaker about the size of a hockey puck (7.5 cm in diameter), with no screen at all. Instead, OpenAI relies on voice, cameras, microphones, sensors, and physical elements. The primary interaction will be through voice, similar to ChatGPT's voice mode but more natural, allowing users to converse with the device throughout the day as it learns context and preferences. Cameras and sensors will let the device see the world and provide visual context to the neural network, although specific use cases are not yet disclosed. The absence of a display is a key concept, with information delivered via voice and device state shown through lighting and moving parts. The device will have physical personality, with moving elements and lighting to indicate status, designed by Jony Ive's LoveFrom studio, and its donut shape aims to differentiate from Amazon and Google smart speakers and avoid copying Apple's design. It will be battery-powered and portable. OpenAI plans a broader hardware lineup, including smart glasses, but the speaker is a safer entry point. The ultimate goal is to create a device that could replace the smartphone as the primary interface for computers and AI. The first model is expected in 2027, with a price possibly exceeding $300, positioning it not just as a smart speaker but as the first element of a new hardware ecosystem.