Give it enough time, and OpenAI’s upcoming personal assistant might know you better than your own family.
What happened: The ChatGPT maker’s first-ever hardware device will reportedly be a screen-free AI speaker that serves as a personal home assistant, per Bloomberg News. OpenAI says that the device, which is expected to be unveiled this year, becomes more effective over time as it learns the routines and preferences of the user.
The unnamed device can control smart-home appliances, answer questions, play music, respond to messages, and perform any of the tasks people typically turn to ChatGPT for.
In a somewhat creepy feature, the speaker reportedly “incorporates mechanical elements that can move on their own.” It’s unclear if the device can actually move autonomously (we sure hope not).
Why it matters: The selling point of the machine, which otherwise sounds like a gussied-up Google Home, is that the personal assistant ages like a fine wine. The more time it spends with its owner learning their routines, sifting through emails, and having conversations with them, the more effective it becomes.
If it works (and doesn’t spook people too much), it could differentiate OpenAI from the likes of Apple and other hardware companies — iPhones are great, but they get worse over time, not better.
Yes, but: Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly poaching talent and urging ex-employees to steal proprietary product details on their way out. OpenAI has denied the accusation, but the lawsuit could delay the speaker’s launch and the four other hardware products that the company has in the pipeline.
Our take: Nobody has figured out what the device will be for the AI age. Some are betting on sunglasses, others on home speakers, but the opening is there for someone to build the smartphone of this era.—LA
