OpenAI's first ChatGPT gadget could turn out to be a smart speaker with a camera attached

Sam Altman next to an image of someone using ChatGPT on a phone.
What are OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman building? (Image credit: Getty Images / VCG / OpenAI)

  • OpenAI could be developing a ChatGPT smart speaker
  • A price point of $200-$300 has been reported
  • It seems as though multiple devices are being developed

We know OpenAI is working on hardware, but what form will its first gadgets take? According to a new report, the first official ChatGPT device to see the light of day will be a smart speaker with an integrated camera.

As per The Information (via The Verge), the device will come in at $200-$300 (around £150-£225 / AU$285-AU$425), and will be able to recognize objects around it – as well as offering facial recognition to authorize purchases.

If the device sees the light of day at some point during 2026, it will arrive 12 years after the original Amazon Echo showed up with Alexa on board. While the on-board AI might be vastly different, the form factor endures.

We don't get too many details in this latest report, though it does also say that smart glasses and a smart lamp are under consideration at OpenAI, as the company looks to push ChatGPT into more areas of our daily lives.

Multiple form factors

The Humane AI Pin on a shirt

AI devices haven't worked out particularly well to date (Image credit: Humane)

There's been a lot of speculation around what OpenAI could be working on, in partnership with ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive. In January, we heard that the company could be planning to launch a behind-the-ear wearable, always on and ready to assist you.

We've also heard talk that an AI-powered ChatGPT pen could be on the way, perhaps enabling you to record voice notes and handwritten text, and get the on-board AI assistant to give you some kind of help that way.

The overall impression is that quite a few devices are being considered, if not actively developed, and OpenAI is going to have to strike the right balance between functionality, price, battery power, and user privacy.

We know that dedicated AI devices haven't fared terribly well to date, and even with ChatGPT attracting millions of users each day, it remains to be seen whether any of us want to carry the AI chatbot around with us at all times.


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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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