OpenAI’s first device could be a screenless smart speaker. It has plenty of competition

OpenAI’s speaker will be designed for home use. It’s battery-powered, so it can be carried from room to room, and it will include cameras, sensors, and mechanical elements, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with Bloomberg.

Whatever the AI giant comes up with will enter a crowded marketplace of smart speakers. But for OpenAI, the biggest selling point might not be the hardware, but the LLM that powers it.

The device is expected to do the things that current smart speakers already do: Play music, control smart-home appliances, answer questions, and respond to messages. The difference is that it will also be intuitive and adaptive.

The device will reportedly use an advanced version of ChatGPT Voice Mode that’s capable of listening and talking simultaneously as well as proactively anticipating users’ needs and surfacing information for them.

Here’s the current smart speaker landscape that OpenAI could find itself competing in.

Apple

Apple has seen hundreds of its former employees poached by OpenAI in recent years, and the company filed a lawsuit against OpenAI last week accusing it of trade secret theft, which an OpenAI spokesperson denied.

Apple’s own smart speakers, the HomePod ($349) and HomePod mini ($129), are built with Siri and require an Apple device to set up and manage. The HomePod’s biggest selling point is privacy and security as data is encrypted and anonymous.

Amazon

Amazon sells several screenless Echo devices, all of which have Alexa built in. They range from the economical Echo Dot ($50) and Echo Dot Max ($100) to the Echo Studio ($220), which has speakers with spatial audio and Dolby Atmos for more immersive sound. But Amazon isn’t afraid of screens. The Echo Spot has one, and the company also pushes HD smart displays that work with Alexa.

Bose

Bose’s portable smart speaker ($300) is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and it can be used for streaming content, messaging, checking the weather, controlling smart-home accessories, and more.

Google

Google rebranded its Google Home line to Nest in 2019. The company emphasizes its integrations, like with Gemini for a voice assistant, and Matter hub, a platform that works with smart-home devices from multiple manufacturers. With a subscription, users can go live with Gemini to chat with the AI freely on Google’s Home Speaker ($100).

JBL

Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, JBL’s smart speakers stand out for their vintage-inspired design. With a boxy, retro look, the brand’s Authentics line of speakers range in price from $380 to $750.

Sonos

The Sonos Era 100 ($219) is sold in promotional materials as a music player first and foremost, but the touch- and voice-controlled speaker is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, so it can be used to control smart-home devices and to access things like calendars and shopping lists.