OpenAI is planning to release a screenless speaker as its first hardware product, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The news comes just days after Apple sued OpenAI and two former employees, alleging misappropriation of its trade secrets to benefit the ChatGPT owner’s foray into consumer hardware, a dramatic escalation of already simmering tension between the two companies.
The device could open a new line of revenue for IPO-bound OpenAI.
The speaker, which is still in development, is designed to act as a humanlike AI companion within the home, Bloomberg said.
It will be capable of controlling smart home appliances, playing media, answering questions, responding to messages and drawing on the broader capabilities of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
