OpenAI, the company behind generative AI chatbot ChatGPT that has ushered in a new era of artificial intelligence powered by large language models (LLM), is reportedly working on a hardware device for the home powered by this next vernation AI technology.

The venture is reportedly being backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and several former Apple executives known for their work designing hardware.

According to a Bloomberg report from Dec. 26, Atlman along with Apple’s former chief design officer Jony Ive are enlisting outgoing Apple executive Tang Tan to lead the hardware engineering effort. Tan will join Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, which will create the design of the new products. Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Altman will provide the software to power the device.

Reports from Bloomberg and other media sources are vague on the exact nature of the device being developed, but Bloomberg notes that the projects in the concept stage include “devices for the home.”

According to Bloomberg, LoveFrom has an impressive roster of clients, including Airbnb, Ferrari and Moncler. More than 20 former Apple employees have jointed the firm.

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Another media report from Business Insider suggests that the device will not be a smartphone:

Despite this, the hype surrounding the ChatGPT-maker and the involvement of Apple veterans Tang and Ive has fuelled speculation that the hypothetical AI device could challenge the iPhone’s stranglehold on the consumer tech industry.

Altman has already backed a different AI device built by a team of ex-Apple employees.

The OpenAI boss is a significant investor in Humane, a startup that recently unveiled its “AI pin” — a screenless wearable device with a voice assistant and laser projector powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 AI model.

Humane cofounders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, the creators of the $699 wearable brooch, have been clear that the intention behind it is to replace the smartphone and limit the amount of time we spend staring at screens.

What kind of device these tech professionals end up making remains to be seen, as media reports cite no further comments from OpenAI, Apple or LoveFrom. However, if it is indeed a kind of smart home device powered by OpenAI’s LLMs,a it does follow a trend of smart home devices leveraging generative AI and LLMs to make smart home systems more intelligent and automated.

Smart home control company Josh.ai has launched an integration with ChatGPT, and Amazon and Google have infused generative AI into their respective smart home platforms to help make creating automations and smart home control easier and more intuitive.

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