OpenAI's first Jony Ive-designed hardware device won't ship to customers until next year, new court filings show (via Wired).
The motion stems from a trademark infringement lawsuit filed last year by audio device startup iyO. The company sued OpenAI after the latter acquired io, a startup founded by Apple's former design chief.
OpenAI's original stated goal was to ship the ChatGPT-powered device before the end of 2026. But in the latest filing, the company said its first hardware device won't ship to customers before the end of February 2027. OpenAI has not created any packaging or marketing materials for its first hardware device either, according to the documents.
The filing also said that OpenAI had reviewed its product-naming strategy and "decided not to use the name 'io' (or 'IYO,' or any capitalization of either) in connection with the naming, advertising, marketing, or sale of any artificial intelligence-enabled hardware products."
Few details are known about the first AI consumer product that OpenAI is working on. The gadget – pitched as a "third core device" that would sit in your pocket, or on your desk alongside a MacBook Pro and iPhone – apparently won't be an in-ear device or a wearable, based on previous filings related to this lawsuit.
Previous leaks have revealed that the gadget will be pocket-sized, contextually aware of your surroundings and life, and completely screen-free. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apparently told OpenAI staff it's "the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen" after testing Ive's prototype at home.
The development comes as now-debunked rumors circulated on Reddit over the weekend claiming that OpenAI had pulled a Super Bowl ad unveiling its upcoming device. The now-deleted post shared an alleged ad featuring actor Alexander Skarsgård in silver headphones, tapping a reflective puck. The video was widely circulated on social media, including by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian.
