OpenAI aims to ship its first device in 2026, and it could be earbuds

OpenAI created a lot of hype around the hardware last year after it acquired former Apple design chief Jony Ive’s startup company. While the company is remaining tight-lipped about the upcoming product, Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, said in a session hosted by Axios in Davos that the AI ​​startup is on track to announce its first device in the second half of this year.

Last November, Altman described the potential device as more “peaceful and quiet” than iPhones. Previous reports suggest that the company wants to build a screen-less, pocketable device.

While the company isn’t releasing any details, more recent reports from Asian publications and leakers suggest that OpenAI’s first device could be a pair of earbuds. According to reports, this device is codenamed “Sweet Pea” and will have a unique design compared to existing earbuds. The earbuds could run on a custom 2nm processor and handle AI tasks locally instead of sending requests to the cloud.

A separate report from a major Taiwanese newspaper indicated that OpenAI was exploring the possibility of partnering with China-based Luxshare for manufacturing, but may ultimately lean toward Taiwan’s Foxconn. The report also said that in the first year of sales, OpenAI aims to ship between 40 to 50 million units.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has nearly 1 billion weekly users, but the company has to rely on other devices and platforms for distribution. Through its own device, it may want to have greater control over the development and distribution of the AI ​​assistant as well as launch exclusive, purpose-built features.

However, replacing existing earbuds like AirPods in users’ daily lives will be difficult if there is no strong integration with operating systems.

Until now, there has been no notable success story for an AI device. Last year, Humane Pin was sold to HP. Rabbit is still moving forward after the initial hype of 2024. The accompanying Friend AI pendant received quick backlash for its marketing tactics.

However, major tech companies are making moves into wearables. Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses are getting increasingly better in range and size to the point where the Facebook maker can’t keep up with demand. Amazon recently acquired Bee, an AI meeting recorder that can act as an escort.