OpenAI’s First AI Device Is Coming — And It Could Be… A Pen?

• Apple tipster Smart Pikachu said OpenAI is evaluating manufacturing for three AI device “projects,” including one a “pen.”
• OpenAI is considering Foxconn as the manufacturing vendor.
• OpenAI is working with former Apple chief designer, Jony Ive, for the device(s), which could debut in 2028.

Even with the launch still two years away, the buzz around OpenAI’s forthcoming AI devices remains strong. Now, speculation in online tech circles suggests it may not be what many expect.

Smart Pikachu, a self-proclaimed Chinese tech blogger whose leaks about Apple have been featured in several tech publications, shared a few details on Tuesday. 

OpenAI is developing not one but three “projects” (which could mean three separate devices or three components for a single device) and is evaluating manufacturing vendors. One of the projects is a “pen,” and the other a "to-go" audio device.

Smart Pikachu’s X post was light on details, but the idea of a smart pen with AI features could prove to be a game-changer, introducing a range of novel capabilities.

Writers at Anthroid Authority speculate that the so-called AI pen can transcribe handwritten notes directly into ChatGPT. If the same gadget is also an “audio device,” it could enable two-way communication with ChatGPT via a paired smartphone or another device. 

OpenAI initially tapped Chinese electronics manufacturer Luxshare to make the device(s), but a reported dispute over the manufacturing location has prompted the company to consider Foxconn instead, according to Smart Pikachu.

According to the tipster, OpenAI does not want to produce the device made in China, and is considering Vietnam and Foxconn’s facilities in the U.S.

OpenAI generated buzz earlier this year when it hired former Apple chief designer, Jony Ive, and acquired his design startup to work on OpenAI’s first AI device. However, the company revealed few details thus far.

In a panel talk last month, CEO Sam Altman described the device’s “vibe” as simple, calming, and devoid of “distractions.” 

“When people see it, they say, ‘that’s it?… It’s so simple,” Altman said, describing the device in an onstage interview at social impact firm Emerson Collective’s Demo Day. His comments suggested that the gadget would synchronize easily with users' data, enabling bespoke, contextually aware outputs.

OpenAI, however, is treading carefully as wearable AI devices, as a category, have failed to leave a mark with consumers. Early attempts, such as the Humane Pin and the Limitless Pendant, have largely fizzled.

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