OpenAI Plans First AI Speaker with Its Own Accents Despite Apple Lawsuit

Bloomberg reports this, citing people familiar with the project. OpenAI aims to unveil the product this year and launch it on the market in 2027. According to Bloomberg, the hardware plans could still change both as part of technical implementation and due to the legal dispute with Apple.

Unlike many existing smart speakers, the OpenAI device is to be equipped with a battery so that it can be carried from room to room, while also being able to remain permanently plugged in. A camera and additional sensors are intended to capture the surroundings and the respective usage context. The device is set to operate without a screen and, among other things, answer questions, play media, control smart home devices, and access further ChatGPT functions.

Personality as Core Feature

OpenAI does not consider the individual functions to be the decisive feature, but rather the device's personality and its ability to establish a human-like connection with the user. Movable mechanical elements are also intended to reinforce the impression that the device is alive and not merely reacting to commands. In this way, the device is meant to anticipate needs, independently provide relevant information, and become a kind of expert for its user.

The AI companion is supposed to get to know its owner better over time, evaluating personal information such as emails and acting increasingly proactively. According to the report, the voice control is based on GPT-Live, a further development of the ChatGPT voice mode presented just last week, which is intended to make conversations feel more natural and enable simultaneous listening and speaking.

Team with Numerous Former Apple Employees

Behind the hardware projects is a team with numerous former Apple employees. According to the complaint, OpenAI now employs more than 400 former Apple staff. Among the formative minds behind the smart speaker and other hardware projects are the former Apple design chief Jony Ive, Apple's former head of industrial design Evans Hankey, Tang Tan, who previously led iPhone product design, and Paul Meade, who at Apple led the development of the Vision Pro and future smart glasses. Last year, OpenAI acquired the company IO Products, which Ive had co-founded, for around 6.5 billion US dollars.

Overall, OpenAI is reportedly working on around five hardware products, with the smart speaker set to be the starting point. In the long term, OpenAI is also planning a potential smartphone replacement and examining additional product categories, including a pendant as well as home robotics. Bloomberg had already reported initial details about OpenAI's smart speaker back in February.

Legal Dispute with Apple and Possible Delay

Parallel to the product plans, a legal dispute with Apple has escalated. Apple sued OpenAI last week, accusing the company of using trade secrets to accelerate the development of its own devices. According to reports, Apple's allegations are directed primarily against OpenAI's hardware chief, a former Apple manager accused of having gathered confidential details about unreleased Apple products and internal technical processes.

OpenAI rejects Apple's allegations. According to Bloomberg's sources, the planned smart speaker differs significantly from Apple's products, which is why the company does not assume any infringement of trade secrets. OpenAI stated that it had no interest in the trade secrets of other companies. According to a statement, the company is also unaware of any evidence supporting the allegations.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is also seeking a preliminary injunction against the hardware plans. Such an injunction could delay the market launch of the OpenAI speaker, even if development proceeds as planned. After the OpenAI plans became known, shares of speaker manufacturer Sonos temporarily lost more than ten percent, but partially recovered; the Apple stock declined only slightly.

The venture is regarded in the industry as a competitive attempt against established providers of smart speakers and home devices, even though it remains unclear to what extent OpenAI's existing supply chains and manufacturing capacities can actually support the planned 2027 market launch.

Regardless of the outcome of the legal dispute, according to Bloomberg's assessment, the device is likely to trigger a debate about the handling of personal data even before its market launch, since the assistant is set to access emails, among other things, and act increasingly independently.