Big OpenAI leak claims the ChatGPT maker is developing an earbud-style wearable with a surprising twist

Date:
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:22:42 +0000

Description:
OpenAIs next wearable looks like Apples AirPods and will give you constant access to ChatGPT.

FULL STORY ======================================================================A new leak says OpenAI is making a wearable to take on Apples AirPods The device is codenamed Sweetpea and works like an earbud for ChatGPT Itll supposedly sit behind your ear, not inside it

OpenAI might be best known for its ChatGPT chatbot, but we also know that
the artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer has teamed up with former Apple design guru Jony Ive to develop a set of wearable products supposedly including an AI-powered pen all driven by its AI algorithms. Now, a fresh revelation has shed light on exactly what OpenAI could be cooking up in its secret labs.

Thats because a new leak on X has revealed a mysterious new OpenAI device codenamed Sweetpea. This is allegedly a behind-the-ear wearable thats powered by AI and aimed squarely at taking on Apples popular AirPods earphones.

However, dont expect them to look like your standard set of in-ear headphones . Instead, the leaker who goes by the moniker Smart Pikachu claims that
much of each Sweetpea module will be worn behind your ear. That might make them more closely resemble a set of hearing aids than a traditional pair of earphones.

The behind-the-ear segment could include the products battery and processor, with the benefit that positioning them this way might enable the use of a larger battery. Considering the AI device will always be on and ready to assist you, longer time on one charge could be a real selling point. (Image credit: Smart Pikachu on X)

Aside from that, Smart Pikachu says that Sweetpea will feature a custom chip to replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri. The timing is fortuitous, as Apple has just brought Google Gemini on board to help power the upcoming AI overhaul of Siri , meaning this could be another way that Apples virtual assistant gains new functionality in the future.

And as suggested by Wareable , the Sweetpea image that Smart Pikachu included contained references to an ultrasonic transmitter and signal pickup sensors. This, Wareable notes, means that the device could offer environmental sensing or contextual awareness, rather than just acting as a passive Bluetooth receiver for ChatGPT.

When might we see Sweetpea? Smart Pikachu reckons the release date will be near September 2026, with 40-50 million units expected to be shipped. Thats
an ambitious target for OpenAIs first-ever wearable, but given the success of ChatGPT, it might be possible.

But be warned, as the leaker states that the price could be high. Thats because the price of Sweetpeas materials and components is close to the cost of a smartphone, with the added factor that its device function [are] said to be stronger.

Still, Sweetpea lines up with a trend we noticed at CES 2026 , where increasing numbers of companies were pushing AI-first wearables as the next big thing. Perhaps OpenAIs Sweetpea project will finally be the device to
make the breakthrough and take these products mainstream.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/openai/big-openai-leak-claim s-the-chatgpt-maker-is-developing-an-earbud-style-wearable-with-a-surprising-t wist


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