OpenAI eyes the wearables business: Robots, headsets, watches and a whole lot more

Once you consider headphones, AR/VR headsets, and sensible jewellery corporations OpenAI might not come to thoughts. Nonetheless, a brand new trademark submitting suggests that may quickly change. 

OpenAI filed a trademark utility on January 31 with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO), noticed by TechCrunch. The appliance contains an intensive record of software program choices, together with cloud computing, machine studying, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) — all of which aren’t surprising for an organization like OpenAI. Nonetheless, sprinkled inside the record are a big variety of {hardware} merchandise. 

The {hardware} merchandise embrace earphones, headphones, sun shades, sensible watches, sensible bands, sensible jewellery, wearable computer systems, wearable cameras, digital media streaming units, digital and augmented actuality headsets, goggles, glasses, controllers, and remotes. 

Wearables

The widespread thread amongst these merchandise is that they’re all wearables, which align completely with OpenAI’s present choices. One factor that enormous language fashions (LLMs) can do very properly is synthesize strong quantities of knowledge and draw insights. Then these insights will be shared in a conversational matter and formatted to be digestible. 

For that purpose, many AI wellness wearables in the marketplace are already incorporating AI inside their platforms. For instance, the Whoop band has an OpenAI-powered Whoop Coach, a conversational chatbot you should utilize to study extra about your well being knowledge and life habits. Finally, LLMs assist customers make sense of the expansive knowledge their wearables acquire. 

Sensible sun shades and AR/VR headsets are one other pure house for OpenAI to discover, as these merchandise have a heavy AI presence. For instance, the Meta Rayban AI and Meta Quest 3 headset incorporate Meta AI to help you with on a regular basis duties, the best way a extra superior AI assistant would. 

Different new merchandise, such because the Halliday and Even Realities sun shades, incorporate AI to offer comparable superior help, resembling transcribing and translating audio in real-time. Past voice assistants, machine studying strategies play a job in coaching and enhancing the efficiency of AR/VR headsets for pc imaginative and prescient and object recognition. 

Robots

One other fascinating merchandise on the record was the reference to humanoid robots. The report particularly mentions, “Consumer-programmable humanoid robots, not configured,” and “Humanoid robots having communication and studying features for helping and entertaining folks.”

This point out of humanoid robots aligns with OpenAI’s new job listings on its robotics staff made earlier this month. The positions embrace EE Sensing Engineer, Robotics Mechanical Design Engineer, and TPM Supervisor.

On the time, Caitlin Kalinowski, who joined OpenAI in November to steer the robotics and shopper {hardware} staff, mentioned it was but to be decided whether or not the main focus was to be humanoid robots. She additionally added, in reply to a person involved about OpenAI’s entry into {hardware}, “Think about with the ability to ship a robotic to do a job that is actually harmful for a human.”

Simply yesterday, Determine AI, the robotics firm, introduced it was ending its partnership with OpenAI to concentrate on constructing its personal in-house AI. This might now lead OpenAI to construct its personal robots in-house. 

What now?

OpenAI has grown ChatGPT into many alternative choices and merchandise, together with ChatGPT for Enterprise, Gov and Edu, ChatGPT Search, and extra. {Hardware} is the logical subsequent frontier for the AI analysis firm. Nonetheless, that does not imply an OpenAI {hardware} providing will probably be in the marketplace any time quickly. 

It is common follow for corporations to make all these filings whereas exploring new concepts; usually, such initiatives by no means see the sunshine of day. Even when any of those initiatives do come to fruition, it may very well be an extended roadmap earlier than any can be found to shoppers. 

What you’ll be able to count on quickly is for OpenAI to proceed increasing its AI software program choices, notably in ChatGPT. Prior to now week alome, OpenAI unveiled its o3-mini mannequin and Deep Analysis — every one advancing the diploma of help customers can get from the chatbot.