OpenAI's mysterious ChatGPT gadget could take the form of an AI-powered pen

Sam Altman
Sam Altman and OpenAI are working on a new AI device (Image credit: Shutterstock/Photo Agency)

  • There's another leak for OpenAI's upcoming device
  • It could apparently take the form of a smart pen
  • Multiple gadgets could currently be in the pipeline

We know that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on an actual gadget of some description – with ex-Apple design chief Jony Ive, no less – and the latest rumor is that the device is going to take the form of a pen.

This comes from well-known tipster Smart Pikachu (via Android Authority), who says that a pen is one of three different ideas under consideration at the moment, as OpenAI makes arrangements with manufacturing partners.

Of course as well as being able to scribble notes, this pen should also be able to give you some kind of AI assistance: perhaps by recording your writing and your voice notes, for example (we have seen multiple smart pens in the past).

All the indications are that whatever this gadget ends up being, it'll have some form of always-on listening feature, with ChatGPT available to make sense of your memos and discussions, and give you answers on demand whenever you need them.

A calmer vibe

We don't get much more information about what's coming from this particular leak, although the tipster does mention that the internal codename for the device is Gumdrop, apparently – so make of that what you will.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has gone on record as saying that the device should feel like a "cabin by a lake". That certainly suggests something with a calmer vibe than a smartphone, and something that mostly works in the background.

Previous leaks have backed up Smart Pikachu's assertion that several different devices are being worked on, though it remains to be seen how many of them will actually be launched. A wearable pin and a smart speaker have been mentioned, for example.

Standalone AI devices like the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1 haven't fared too well in the past, though we also know that Google and Amazon are busy pushing upgraded AI assistants to their smart displays and smart speakers.


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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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