I’ve been trying out OpenAI’s new AI keyboard — which will be fun for some programmers and a little confusing for everyone else

OpenAI launched its first piece of hardware last week, a fancy little keyboard designed to pair with ChatGPT. Developed in collaboration with specialist keyboard designer Work Louder, the Micro is essentially a literal workplace novelty that tech-savvy users will love and may leave everyone scratching their heads.

OpenAI’s entry into the hardware market wasn’t without drama. Several weeks ago, Apple filed a lawsuit against the AI ​​lab, accusing it of commercial theft, beginning a long-running legal battle. Meanwhile, news of another smart home product in development at OpenAI has also raised eyebrows, as the supposed device – which is designed to pair with ChatGPT – is said to have been developed by former Apple engineers.

Until the legal battle is over and OpenAI’s broader hardware ambitions are realized, the most the startup can offer is the Micro — a funky little keyboard clearly designed to please the tech industry’s code monkeys.

OpenAI sent TechCrunch a Micro test unit. The first big thing you notice when initially handling the keyboard is that it’s a powerful little device, enough that if an AI accessory doesn’t work out, it can easily double as a paperweight. The other thing you might notice (and I’m not the only one to point this out), is that the packaging — a pure white box with a sleek, clean aesthetic — is very Apple-coded. Make of it whatever you want.

The keyboard layout includes six “proxy” keys frozen at the top of the board, which can be customized to perform specific tasks within ChatGPT or its proxy coding tool Codex. Below them are six command keys, which can be used to control these programs. You can pair the Micro to your computer either through a Bluetooth connection or a USB cable.

Perhaps the most convenient thing the Micro offers is a voice dictation button – meaning you simply tell the app what you want to do and it will get to work for you. Just press and hold the dictation button and start speaking. When you’re done, click the “Submit” button next to it to submit your application.

You can customize your Micro Keyboard within ChatGPT itself, as the Micro tab lets you adjust everything from the light brightness of the keys to the specific commands and projects you want to associate with those keys.

Programmers—the device’s actual target audience—didn’t fully embrace it. Redditors’ reviews were largely negative, with one Reddit user calling it “a joke and not a real product,” and others saying serious programmers wouldn’t touch it. A review by the smaller independent outlet Aftermath was more harsh, calling the $230 price difficult to justify next to cheap DIY products and off-the-shelf alternatives. (The title of that review: “OpenAI’s expensive Macropad seems designed specifically to piss me off.”)

Sure, new users may need some time to figure out how Micro works and what to do with it.

Once I figured out how to program the keyboard to my liking, I found it was really fun. You can assign different ChatGPT sessions to specific keys, which then allows you to easily switch between all your various projects. When you combine that with the dictation button, it makes the whole experience more efficient and enjoyable.

But there is still a learning curve. Color-coded Micro buttons. White means the agent is idle, blue means he or she is thinking, green means the task is complete, and red means there is an error. You’ll need to save this, along with saving the specific projects that are hard-coded for each key.

The big question is whether the Micro Keyboard is functionally easier to use than just continuing to work on your laptop. In short: Why would I spend a week learning how to program and operate this thing when I already know how to use the mouse and keyboard in my computer?

Ultimately, your experience with Micro will depend largely on how much you use ChatGPT. Since I don’t use AI much on a daily basis, I’m probably not the target audience for this.

However, if you’re a die-hard ChatGPT user, have an extra $230, and like old-looking devices with clickable buttons, the Micro probably isn’t the worst purchase you can make — it might even brighten your day a little.