Not to be outdone by OpenAI, Apple is reportedly developing an AI wearable
According to Apple, Apple could develop its own AI wearable a report published Wednesday by The Information. The device will be a pin that users can wear on their clothes and will be equipped with two cameras and three microphones, the report said.
Should the rumored device hit the market, it would be another sign that the AI hardware market is heating up. This news follows Monday’s comments by OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told a crowd in Davos that his company will likely announce its long-awaited first AI hardware device in the second half of this year. Additional reports indicate that the device may be a pair of earbuds.
Apple’s device is described as a “thin, flat, circular disk with an aluminum and glass enclosure,” which engineers hope to make the same size as an AirTag, “only slightly thicker.” The Pin will also have two cameras (one with a standard lens and another with a wide-angle lens) for photos and video, as well as a physical button, a speaker, and a Fitbit-like charging strip on the back, according to the report.
Apple may even be accelerating development of this product to compete with OpenAI. According to the report, the pin could potentially hit the market in 2027 and reach 20 million copies at launch. TechCrunch reached out to Apple for more information.
But it remains to be seen whether consumers will want this kind of AI device. Two Apple alumni previously founded Humane AI, a startup that also sold an AI pin. Humane’s pin also included built-in microphones and a camera. However, it stranded upon releaseand the company had to cease operations within two years of the product launch and sell its assets to HP.
