OpenAI Develops First AI Smart Speaker Amid Apple Lawsuit Delays

OpenAI is developing its first physical device, a portable AI-powered smart speaker without a screen, featuring a camera and advanced sensors. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, this device is the first of five hardware products OpenAI is working on, following the company’s May 2025 announcement of entering the hardware market in partnership with io Products, founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. However, the launch may be delayed due to an ongoing lawsuit filed by Apple against both OpenAI and io Products over alleged trade secret theft.

Unlike typical smart speakers, OpenAI envisions this device as a home AI companion designed to boost productivity by understanding the user’s environment and context through its sensors and camera. It will integrate advanced AI models beyond those in current smart speakers, enabling it to control smart home devices, play media, answer questions, respond to messages, and connect with ChatGPT capabilities. The device is intended to develop a personalized and proactive personality, using personal data such as emails to better understand its owner.

The speaker will include mechanical components that can move autonomously to create a lifelike presence rather than just responding to commands. Its conversational abilities will be powered by GPT-Live, an advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode launched by OpenAI recently, which allows more natural, simultaneous listening and speaking.

Notably, the device is designed to be portable within the home, equipped with a rechargeable battery to move between rooms, such as the laundry room, kitchen, living room, or bedroom. OpenAI acquired io Products last year for $6.5 billion, with Jony Ive’s design studio LoveFrom contributing to the product line, alongside former Apple engineers involved in iPhone and Mac development.

The Apple lawsuit alleges that OpenAI used stolen trade secrets to accelerate hardware development, with former OpenAI hardware chief Tang Tan accused of leading efforts to obtain confidential Apple information. Beyond the smart speaker, OpenAI’s long-term hardware plans include a mobile AI device potentially replacing smartphones, wearable products like pendants, and home robotics. The company aims to unveil the smart speaker this year and launch it in 2027, though legal proceedings and Apple’s request for an injunction could delay the release.