OpenAI officially enters the hardware market with the launch of a $230 illuminated keyboard designed to pair with AI coding assistant Codex.
Co-designed with specialist keyboard designer Work Louder, Codex Micro is being touted as a fancy new way for ChatGPT users to manage their fleets of AI Coding Agents — the semi-autonomous robots that can write and execute code with little human input.
The device is equipped with “agent keys” that show agent status, customizable command keys that act as shortcuts for common Codex actions, and a joystick for launching common workflows. It also has a dial that adjusts how much “reasoning” — essentially, how much time and computing power — an agent uses on a given task (agent reasoning level).
The idea is that instead of managing your agents through your phone or desktop app, you can now use the Micro as the “command center for agent work,” as OpenAI puts it. It will also probably look pretty cool sitting at your desk. The device is controllable and customizable through the ChatGPT desktop application.
OpenAI told TechCrunch in an email that the Micro is a limited-run collaboration, signaling that it’s more of an innovation item than a product designed for mass appeal. It looks like a fancy trinket designed to herald the company’s entry into the hardware market.
The most important hardware news arrived on Tuesday. An as-yet-unreleased OpenAI device revealed by Bloomberg sounds like it’s been in the works for a long time. It’s described as a portable smart speaker without a screen that integrates with ChatGPT and includes “mechanical elements that can move by themselves.”
At this juncture, it’s hard to imagine how all these disparate details—no screen, wearable, moving parts—will come together into a cohesive product (OpenAI doesn’t say). But it leaves an interesting picture, at least. It also sounds like it hasn’t been done yet. The Bloomberg report highlights that the item is still a work in progress and subject to change.
This new device is also reportedly being designed by former Apple engineers – a company that is currently suing OpenAI for trade theft.
This connection did not go unnoticed, at least by Apple. Apple last week sued OpenAI, accusing the company’s senior leadership of a deliberate strategy to extract its confidential information. claims that OpenAI used this information to develop its own hardware device. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This does not affect our editorial independence.
