Openai Files A Trademark Application For Humanoid Robots And Vr Headsets As Sam Altman Teases Big Hardware Ambitions

Sam Altman said AI developments mean we need new hardware.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

• OpenAI has filed a trademark application for tech such as humanoid robots and AI-powered VR headsets.
• Sam Altman has hinted at OpenAI's hardware ambitions but says a prototype could still be years away.
• The move could put OpenAI in competition with Meta, Apple, and other AI-driven hardware players.

OpenAI has given more signs that it may be gearing up for a big hardware push.

The ChatGPT maker has filed a new trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that could hint at plans to develop humanoid robots, smart wearables, and AI-powered virtual and augmented reality headsets.

The application also mentions smartwatches and smart jewelry.

While companies often file wide-ranging trademarks for ideas that never come to fruition, OpenAI's application comes as its CEO, Sam Altman, has been talking up the company's hardware plans.

On Monday, he told Nikkei Asia that OpenAI wants to develop AI-powered consumer tech "through partnerships with multiple companies." However, he cautioned that even a prototype could take "several years" to materialize.

Altman added, "AI is a big enough shift in how we interact with computers that there ought to be a new kind of hardware."

Hardware push

OpenAI's trademark application, submitted on January 31, lists "user-programmable humanoid robots" and "humanoid robots with communication and learning functions."

It comes as OpenAI rebuilds its robotics team, which it previously shut down in 2020. In November, OpenAI hired Caitlin Kalinowski, Meta's former hardware lead, to lead the company's robotics and consumer hardware efforts. Kalinowski, who oversaw the development of Orion, Meta's prototype AR glasses, has previously said she will focus on "bringing AI into the physical world" through robotics and hardware partnerships.

In September, former Apple design chief Jony Ive confirmed that he's working with Altman on an AI-first consumer device as part of a new venture.

Altman hasn't provided specifics on how OpenAI plans to integrate its AI models with its own hardware, but the company's filing suggests it is laying the legal groundwork for future developments.

A move into VR hardware would put OpenAI in competition with Meta's Quest and Apple's Vision Pro, both of which are investing in AI-powered immersive experiences.

OpenAI, which has so far been focused on software, has also been linked to custom AI chip development, which could help it reduce its reliance on Nvidia's GPUs.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.