OpenAI plans to launch its first AI tool in H2 2026

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OpenAI plans to launch its first hardware device in the second half of 2026. The device may be a simple, screenless wearable, but the specs are unspecified.

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The Open API aims to launch its first hardware device by the end of 2026, policy chief Christopher Lehane said at the World Economic Forum's 2026 annual meeting in Davos.

Lehane sees AI in devices as the near future of innovation, bringing AI into people's everyday tools and gadgets.

“Maybe by the end of the year, I think you'll see AI in devices. It's known that we're working on a device with Jony Ive, the iPhone maker, and there's a lot more to come,” he said when asked about the major advances in AI that the world needs to prepare for.

Le Hahn also predicts that 2026 will be the year AI accelerates scientific research, leading to breakthroughs that impact everyday life. This builds on last year's development of agentic AI, which allows even non-coders to create programs, opening the door for everyday users to use AI in ways previously limited to specialists.

Lehane puts the product's timelines and specifics below the packaging.

In a separate interview with Axios' Ina Fried, he said tools are among OpenAI's biggest priorities for 2026 and that updates “will come much later in the year.”

Several reports suggest the company may be developing small, screenless, wearables designed around voice interaction.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman previously described the product as more “peaceful” and easier to use than a smartphone.