OpenAI Confirms Plans for a Family of AI Hardware Products

OpenAI is preparing a wider hardware push centred on its artificial intelligence technology, according to comments made by the company's president. During a recent interview, Greg Brockman said OpenAI is developing a family of AI devices instead of a single hardware product. He did not reveal the form factor or launch schedule of the upcoming devices but indicated that the first products are not far away. Brockman also discussed OpenAI's desktop app redesign, voice-first computing, privacy efforts and the company's broader hardware vision.

Greg Brockman Details OpenAI's Family of AI Devices Strategy

According to an interview on Joanna Stern's YouTube channel, Brockman said OpenAI is building a family of hardware products around its AI models. He did not confirm reports suggesting the company's first device could be a smart speaker, a wearable similar to the Humane AI Pin, a pen-like gadget or AI-powered earphones. He also did not reveal how many devices are currently in development.

Rather than focusing on hardware alone, Brockman said OpenAI wants to build products that people would actually use in their daily lives. He also suggested that speaking to computers could eventually become more common than typing. While discussing how that shift might work in offices and other shared spaces, he pointed to recently introduced soundproof masks as an early example of products designed for voice-based AI interactions, although he did not see them as a lasting solution.

The interview also touched on OpenAI's partnership with former Apple design chief Jony Ive and Apple's ongoing lawsuit involving the company. Brockman said OpenAI remained focused on its own technology roadmap and innovation. He added that the company was developing its products independently and had no interest in competitors' trade secrets.

Although Brockman did not announce a launch date, he indicated that OpenAI's first hardware products are expected to arrive soon. Earlier this year, OpenAI chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said the company's first AI device remained on track for an unveiling in the second half of 2026.

Brockman also responded to criticism of the redesigned ChatGPT desktop application, which combined ChatGPT and Codex while introducing the new Work mode. He acknowledged that the interface had become more complicated than intended and said it was part of a gradual transition. According to Brockman, OpenAI expects to remove the standalone Work tab before the end of the year by bringing those features directly into ChatGPT.

Despite the criticism, Brockman said the redesign had helped more people discover Codex. He said the coding assistant's user base grew from around five million to 10 million users within a few days of the rollout. He added that OpenAI ultimately wants to make AI agents easier for more people to use and help them get more value from the technology.

Brockman also said OpenAI is working on ways to let users verify how private conversations, including those in Temporary Chat, are handled. According to him, the goal is to give users greater confidence that private AI interactions remain secure through verifiable and auditable safeguards.