OpenAI Deploys 200 Employees to Build AI Smart Devices

OpenAI’s effort to develop artificial intelligence-powered devices involves more than 200 people, The Information reported Friday (Feb. 20), citing unnamed sources.

The team is working on devices that include a smart speaker, smart glasses and a smart lamp, according to the report.

OpenAI plans to release the smart speaker first, no earlier than February 2027, the report said. The device will have a camera to enable it to get information from its surroundings and to use facial recognition to enable purchases. It will be priced between $200 and $300, per the report.

The other devices are unlikely to be released before 2028, according to the report. All the devices are in the early stages of development, and their details could change, per the report.

OpenAI did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

It was reported Feb. 10 that OpenAI’s push into consumer hardware had been delayed until 2027 after earlier reports suggested a possible debut in 2026. The delay surfaced as the company continued to refine both the hardware concept and its broader consumer AI strategy.

Delaying until 2027 gives OpenAI more runway to mature its models, optimize on-device processing and refine design concepts. It also positions the company to enter what is becoming a crowded field of AI-enabled consumer gadgets, as competitors explore smart wearables, voice assistants and multimodal devices.

It was reported Jan. 15 that OpenAI is lining up suppliers to support a major product expansion over the next few years that includes not only consumer devices but also robotics and data centers. The firm has put out a request for proposals from companies that manufacture in the United States and offer components related to these products.

In November 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive said the company’s first device would be ready in less than two years. Ive, who led the design team for the iMac, iPhone and iPad, and is now working on a device with OpenAI, said the design centers on creating something people can use without hesitation. Altman added that the device aims to reduce the number of steps required to interact with AI.