OpenAI is reportedly developing pen-shaped AI device with microphone and camera to act as third major core device

A pen-sized device codenamed "Gumdrop" could mark OpenAI's ambitious leap into hardware, with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive reportedly helping craft what's envisioned as a third essential gadget alongside iPhones and laptops. The wearable would feature a camera and microphone, promising to convert handwritten notes into digital text and upload them directly to ChatGPT through voice commands.

Yet the device faces the same existential question that doomed predecessors like the Humane AI Pin, which was discontinued within a year: what can it do that smartphones can't already handle? OpenAI has shifted manufacturing from China to Foxconn facilities in the US or Vietnam, though the project remains in early design phases with a potential 2026 or 2027 launch.

Some speculate the real purpose might be more intriguing than advertised. As AI companies exhaust human-generated data for training their models, this "companion device" could serve as a sophisticated data harvester, quietly scraping real-world interactions to feed OpenAI's hungry algorithms.