OpenAI Develops AI Speaker Amid Apple Trade Secret Lawsuit

OpenAI is developing a doughnut-shaped, battery-powered smart speaker scheduled for release in 2027. Designed in collaboration with Jony Ive’s LoveFrom studio, the device will lack a display but will include moving parts, lights, sensors, and a camera system to provide a lifelike computing experience. The hardware is expected to retail between $300 and $400 and will utilize high-quality metal materials.

The hardware project has triggered a legal battle with Apple Inc., which alleges that OpenAI misappropriated confidential trade secrets regarding metal-finishing techniques. Apple claims that OpenAI misled a partner into believing it had permission to use these proprietary techniques for its own benefit.

OpenAI has denied these allegations, characterizing the lawsuit as careless, aggressive, and oddly personal. The company recently filed a motion to dismiss the case, asserting that the smart speaker is an entirely new product that differs from Apple's existing technology.