OpenAI aims to ship 100 million AI devices for everyday use in the fastest time in history, with the first device expected to be released by the end of 2026 or in a form factor as compact and elegant as the iPod shuffle.



AI company OpenAI

acknowledged in September 2024 that it was working with former Apple designer Jony Ive to develop AI devices, and in May 2025, it acquired io, an AI hardware company founded by Ive. The Wall Street Journal reports on what the AI hardware being developed by OpenAI will look like.

Exclusive | What Sam Altman Told OpenAI About the Secret Device He's Making With Jony Ive - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-sam-altman-told-openai-about-the-secret-device-hes-making-with-jony-ive-f1384005

Jony Ive's AI gadget rumored to be 'slightly larger' than Humane's AI pin | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/672533/jony-ive-sam-altman-ai-device-ipod-shuffle-ai-pin

When OpenAI announced plans to acquire io, Ive would take on a broader creative and design role at the company, and CEO Sam Altman told employees, 'We have the opportunity to do the greatest thing we've ever done as a company.'

OpenAI acquires former Apple designer Jony Ive's device startup 'io', developing 'the coolest' AI hardware the world has ever seen, set to be released as early as 2026 - GIGAZINE



The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the AI device being developed by OpenAI is 'not a smartphone, but a device that aims to get users away from screens.' According to CEO Altman, this AI device is not a smart glass, and it has become clear that Ive was skeptical of the development of a 'body-worn device.' CEO Altman has also spoken of his love for the integration of hardware and software like Apple, and it seems that he is working on developing an AI device in this way.

Altman told OpenAI staff that the secrecy of the development would 'ultimately lead to success' in order to prevent competitors from stealing the technology before the product is completed. In fact, in a video released at the time of the acquisition of io, Altman said, 'Johnny recently brought me home a prototype of this device for the first time. I make a living off it, and I think it's the coolest technology the world has ever seen,' suggesting that information about the AI device was tightly controlled.

It was also revealed that Ive's team has been in discussions for months with vendors that can ship AI devices on a large scale. CEO Altman predicts, 'We're not going to literally ship 100 million devices on day one, but we're going to ship 100 million new products faster than any other company.' According to CEO Altman, OpenAI aims to release an AI device by the end of 2026.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the ambitious plan reflects OpenAI's bold vision for expanding into many areas, including data centers, enterprise technology, chatbots and personal robots, all of which are worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

OpenAI has struggled to raise funds, and according to a Wall Street Journal report, the company told investors in the fall of 2025 that it wouldn't be profitable until 2029.



Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry analyst familiar with Apple-related leaks, has posted that, based on his own industry research, OpenAI's AI device is expected to begin mass production in 2027; to reduce geopolitical risks, assembly and shipping will take place outside of China, with Vietnam currently being seen as the likely location for assembly; the AI device prototype is slightly larger than the AI Pin and has a compact and elegant form factor similar to that of an iPod shuffle (although the design and specifications may change before mass production); one use case is to wear the device around the neck; it will have a camera and microphone for environmental detection, but no display; and it is expected that it will also be able to be connected to a smartphone or PC to utilize computing power and displays .




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in Hardware, Posted by logu_ii