OpenAI’s Secret AI Device Faces Pre-Launch Issues

OpenAI’s high-profile partnership with Apple design legend Jony Ive has hit roadblocks, the kind that can stall a product before it sees daylight.

The pitch was bold, a screenless, always-listening gadget that reimagines how we talk to AI. Now, a pile of technical hurdles is threatening the 2026 launch target.

Then there is the issue of compute. OpenAI is already straining to serve ChatGPT at scale, let alone millions of always-connected devices, development sources confirmed to the Financial Times. The current infrastructure is simply not built for a mass rollout of hardware that hungry.

The costs are also problematic. Modern AI inference can run several cents per thousand tokens, so real-time voice sessions add up quickly if processed in the cloud.

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Hurdles and sources

The technical hurdles here are more than schedule slippage. They expose how hard truly useful AI hardware is to build. The original 2026 timeline looks shaky.

When developing the AI experience, the team reportedly aimed to ensure that the assistant wouldn’t dominate conversations or take too long to respond. One source described the concept as “a friend who’s a computer who isn’t your weird AI girlfriend… like Siri but better.”

Another insider added that crafting the assistant’s personality was a delicate balancing act, noting that it couldn’t come across as either overly flattering or too blunt.

The palm-sized device is said to lack a screen, relying instead on a microphone, camera, and speaker for interaction. It’s designed to rest on a desk or table but can also be carried around. According to the FT, the gadget seeks to go beyond current smart speakers by offering a broader range of functions.

A separate source confirmed earlier reports that the OpenAI device would be always-on, eliminating the need for a wake word. They explained that its sensors would continuously gather information to help build the assistant’s “memory.” While the FT report didn’t address privacy concerns directly, it’s easy to imagine that an always-listening device could raise significant privacy issues.

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It’s a model and it’s looking good

Even with all that said, OpenAI still has some advantages. It has money, cutting-edge models, and a devoted fanbase. Those ingredients could help it succeed where others fizzled.

The AI wearable field is already crowded. Friend, an AI companion necklace, and Plaud, an AI note-taking device, are finding early traction. But OpenAI gets a lot more attention than those two firms.

The Ive partnership brings world-class design, and OpenAI is working with Chinese manufacturers like Luxshare on production. The company has also hired hardware talent from Apple and other consumer tech players to bolster the team.