OpenAI wants its speaker to feel alive. Apple says it’s a stolen idea

It’s been just over a year since OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the company would build an AI-first device with the help of legendary Apple designer Jony Ive. Now we may have an idea of what it might look like. Firm details about the device have been scant, but on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported, cited people familiar with the matter, what the device may look like: a “screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era.”

The device is meant to be “human-like” with smart speaker-like features that help control appliances in a user’s home, play media, respond to messages and answer queries by using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the people added. The device’s AI capabilities could allow it to better interact with users on a personal level, according to the report. It will also become increasingly personalized and proactive over time as it draws on information like a users’ personal emails.

Mechanical parts that move on their own also give users “a sense that it is alive and not just an object responding to commands,” the outlet reported. OpenAI did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment. AI device market The market for AI-first home devices is still in its infancy.

Both Amazon and Google have incorporated AI capabilities into their existing smart speakers. Meanwhile, Google last month also released a new Google Home speaker designed specifically for Gemini. Still, reviews for Google’s product have thus far been mixed.

While critics praised the AI-enabled speaker’s more natural conversations, and especially a paywalled live chat feature called Gemini Live, they also noted the device has a tendency to ignore some questions and can get confused during interactions. Only a handful of truly AI-first devices exist on the market today. One example that could resemble OpenAI’s planned product—according to Bloomberg’s description—is ElliQ, an AI device designed for older adults that resembles a desk lamp and also has moving parts.

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