OpenAI’s First Device Will Be Movable, Screenless Speaker Built as AI Companion
Mark Gurman
Updated Wed, July 15, 2026 at 10:18 AM GMT+5:30
6 min read
(Bloomberg) — OpenAI’s (OPAI.PVT) 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 AI 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 Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and the push has already met some resistance
Apple sued OpenAI last week, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets. But OpenAI believes that the device veers significantly from anything Apple has on the market today and that it’s unlikely that it violates trade secrets belonging to the iPhone maker, the people said
Shares of audio-device maker Sonos Inc. tumbled more than 10% in late trading before paring the losses. Apple fell less than 1% to a low of $313.52
OpenAI’s success in hardware will hinge on bringing a novel approach to the market — something it aims to do with the smart speaker. For instance, the device’s technology is meant to become increasingly personalized and proactive as it gains a deeper understanding of its owner over time, according to the people
OpenAI envisions the device anticipating needs, surfacing information proactively and serving as an expert on its user, they said. Though the speaker is designed to stay in the home, it will be easy to move around the house
OpenAI believes the product’s defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users. The speaker incorporates mechanical elements that can move on their own, creating a sense that it is alive and not just an object responding to commands. The machine also will draw on personal information such as emails to better understand its owner
