tech
January 21, 2026
OpenAI aims to ship its first device in 2026, and it could be earbuds
The AI startup is on track to announce its first hardware device in the second half of this year, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said during an interview Davos.
TL;DR
- OpenAI plans to announce its first hardware device in the second half of 2024.
- The device could be a pair of earbuds, codenamed 'Sweet Pea'.
- The earbuds might feature a custom processor for local AI task handling.
- Manufacturing partners being explored include Luxshare and Foxconn.
- OpenAI aims to ship 40-50 million units in the first year of sales.
- The goal is to gain control over AI assistant development and distribution.
- Previous AI hardware ventures like Humane Pin and Rabbit have faced challenges.
- Big tech companies like Meta and Amazon are also active in the wearables market.