OpenAI’s hardware plans are becoming a little clearer, but only in broad outline. In an interview with Joanna Stern on her YouTube channel, OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company is working on a “family of devices” designed for interacting with its AI models.
The comments point to a larger ambition: moving AI chatbots beyond the familiar text box and into devices built around more natural interaction. Brockman did not provide a release date, though he said “you can expect them soon.”
OpenAI is thinking beyond one device
The most important detail is that Brockman described the work as a “family of devices,” not a single product. That leaves room for multiple forms of AI hardware, each potentially shaped around a different way of using OpenAI’s models.
He did not confirm reports that one device could be a smart speaker rumored for 2027. He also did not confirm earlier rumors that the device might be a wearable like the Humane AI pin. For now, the company’s public position is broader than any one category.
That distinction matters. A smart speaker suggests an ambient home or office product. A wearable suggests a personal device that travels with the user. A broader family could include either, both, or something else entirely, but the source only confirms that OpenAI is developing devices for AI interaction.
Voice could become the default interface
Brockman’s comments also showed how OpenAI is thinking about the user interface for AI. He said he expects people to move toward talking to computers rather than typing for the “vast majority of what we do.”
That would be a major shift in everyday computing behavior. Typing is precise, quiet, and already built into phones, laptops, and workplace tools. Voice is faster in many situations, but it creates new social and practical problems, especially around privacy and shared spaces.
Brockman addressed one of those problems directly: what happens when many people are talking to their computers in an open office. He pointed to soundproof “beak” masks that have started to appear, while also saying he does not use one.
His point was not that masks are the answer. He said “it really shows you where there’s product market fit,” even if everyone agrees that is not going to be a good solution. In other words, awkward early products can still reveal demand for a better way to do the same thing.
The Apple and Jony Ive question remains in the background
The interview also touched on Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI and whether it could affect the devices OpenAI is working on with former Apple designer Jony Ive.
Brockman’s answer kept the focus on OpenAI’s own work. He said, “We are focused on our own development and technology.” He also said, “We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We are plenty innovative. We are thinking about things from our own angle.”
Those comments do not reveal what the hardware will look like. They do, however, show that OpenAI is positioning the effort as its own product and technology path, even as outside attention remains fixed on Apple, Jony Ive, and the broader history of consumer device design.
Trust is part of the hardware story
Hardware is only one part of the problem. Brockman also said OpenAI is working on trust issues around its AI models, including concerns about how private ChatGPT’s “temporary chat” mode actually is.
He said the company is developing technological solutions that could provide “verifiable, auditable guarantees” that only the AI can review users’ private data. That point is especially relevant if AI interaction moves from typed prompts into always-available devices.
Voice-first AI devices could make conversations with computers feel more immediate. But the more natural those interactions become, the more important privacy expectations become. Users will need to understand what is being captured, what is being stored, and who or what can review it.
The source does not say how OpenAI’s proposed guarantees would work. It only indicates that the company sees trust as a technical challenge it is trying to address, not merely a messaging issue.
What is known and what is still unknown
For now, the confirmed facts are limited. OpenAI is working on a “family of devices” for its AI models. Brockman expects voice interaction to play a much larger role in computing. The company is also discussing trust, temporary chat, and private data as part of the broader AI experience.
Several major questions remain unanswered:
- What specific devices OpenAI plans to release.
- Whether a smart speaker is part of the lineup.
- Whether a wearable is part of the lineup.
- When any OpenAI AI devices will reach users.
- How its privacy guarantees will be implemented.
That uncertainty is the story. OpenAI is signaling that AI chatbots may not stay confined to apps and browsers. The company is preparing hardware around its models, while also acknowledging that voice interaction and private data will shape whether those devices can become useful in daily life.