OpenAI is developing the Sweet Pea project, a smart headphone equipped with a 2-nanometer processing chip that performs AI functions internally without the need for cloud processing.
OpenAI is preparing to expand from AI services into hardware business fully for the first time soon, planning to launch its first device in the second half of 2026.
According to Axios, the product may be smart headphones codenamed "Sweet Pea," developed in collaboration with Jony Ive, former Apple design chief and founder of the startup io, which OpenAI previously acquired. The device will focus on simple design, no screen, and easy portability.
OpenAI's AI headphones will use a 2-nanometer architecture chipset to process AI commands onboard without sending data to the cloud, enhancing response speed and improving personal data security.
For manufacturing, OpenAI has partnered with Foxconn and Luxshare to produce the headphones, with a key goal of reducing reliance on other companies.
Regarding sales, OpenAI has set an ambitious target, expecting to sell between 40 and 50 million units.
However, OpenAI's entry into the hardware market faces significant challenges, especially competing against market leaders like Apple's AirPods and learning from past failures of AI devices such as the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1, which failed to maintain long-term popularity.