In a bold move signaling its ambition to reshape everyday human-tech interaction, OpenAI is preparing to launch an entirely new category of AI-integrated hardware. According to CEO Sam Altman, the company is developing compact AI “companion” devices — a mysterious but potentially game-changing product designed to enhance daily life through artificial intelligence.
The vision? Seamless AI integration on-the-go, a possible evolution of how we interact with smart technology beyond traditional devices like smartphones and laptops. And the goal is audacious: ship 100 million of these compact AI units once they’re ready for mass adoption.
Altman shared details — or rather, hinted at them — during a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal. He’s collaborating with none other than Jony Ive, the former chief design officer at Apple and a creative force behind the iPhone. Ive’s involvement has piqued interest across the tech world, especially given his focus on human-centric product design. However, both leaders remain tight-lipped about what exactly these devices will do, or even what form they’ll take. Ive described them only as part of a “new design movement,” suggesting a blend of function and aesthetic similar to Apple’s tightly integrated hardware and software approach.
The secretive project was made possible after OpenAI acquired Ive’s startup, LoveFrom, in a massive $6.5 billion deal earlier this year. This acquisition marks one of the largest product-focused investments in OpenAI’s history and underscores the company’s intent to go beyond software and into consumer electronics.
Backed by billions in venture capital and buoyed by the success of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s momentum is difficult to ignore. The company’s popular chatbot reportedly boasts nearly 800 million weekly active users as of May 2025. That surge in usage has helped push OpenAI’s valuation to a staggering $300 billion — nearly doubling from $157 billion just six months ago.
Yet despite all the buzz, there’s an air of mystery surrounding these upcoming AI companions. Will they resemble smartphones, voice assistants, wearable tech — or something completely new? The lack of specifics has sparked plenty of speculation across tech circles. Some believe they could serve as personalized AI sidekicks, offering contextual help, conversation, or real-time data processing — all housed in a pocket-sized device.
But this isn’t the only secretive project brewing inside OpenAI’s labs. Reports from The Verge earlier this year suggest the company is also working on a social media platform that could rival Elon Musk’s X and Meta’s Instagram. This new network might fuse ChatGPT’s image generation with a social feed experience, potentially creating a hybrid between traditional social media and AI-driven content generation. Whether that product will exist within ChatGPT or launch as its own entity remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, OpenAI’s reach is increasingly extending into the blockchain space. Startups are now merging large language models with decentralized infrastructure. Case in point: Validation Cloud recently integrated an LLM into the Hedera network, allowing DeFi users to interact with blockchain data using natural language — a glimpse into how AI might simplify Web3 complexity for everyday users.
As AI continues to blur the line between sci-fi and reality, OpenAI’s mystery hardware could become the next big step in how humans interact with machines. Whether it becomes the new smartphone or just another niche gadget remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: the AI hardware race has officially begun.
