OpenAI plans to launch a home speaker as its first hardware product

According to insiders, OpenAI’s highly anticipated consumer device will kick off with a mobile, screenless smart speaker, aiming to become a new type of home computer for the AI era. This product is still under development and is designed to be a personified AI companion living in the home. It will help control smart home devices, play media, answer questions, reply to messages, and leverage various features provided by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Over time, the device will get to know its owner better, becoming more personalized and proactive. Its core feature will be its personality and ability to form a human-like connection with users. OpenAI plans to release the device this year and bring it to market by 2027. However, the launch timeline might be delayed due to a lawsuit filed by Apple, accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets to accelerate the device’s development. (Bloomberg)