The company behind ChatGPT is working on its first-ever physical gadget, and the latest rumor is that it might be a super-smart pen. The project, a collaboration with the legendary former Apple designer Jony Ive, has been shrouded in secrecy. Still, a new leak suggests a pen is one of three ideas the company is currently exploring.
According to a well-known tech leaker, OpenAI is making arrangements with manufacturing partners and is seriously considering a pen as its first hardware product. Of course, this wouldn’t be just any pen. It would likely be packed with AI, capable of recording your written notes and voice memos. The bigger idea seems to be a device with an “always-on” listening feature, so you can have a ChatGPT-powered assistant with you at all times, ready to answer questions or make sense of your conversations.
This fits with what OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said about the project. He wants the device to feel like a “cabin by a lake,” something with a calmer vibe than a smartphone that works in the background.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about OpenAI’s hardware ambitions. Previous leaks have mentioned other possibilities, like a wearable pin or a smart speaker. While other standalone AI gadgets, like the Humane AI Pin, have flopped, OpenAI is a much bigger player, and whatever it releases is sure to make a splash. For now, the smart pen is just a rumor, but it’s a fascinating glimpse into what the future of AI-powered hardware might look like.
