OpenAI unveiled its first physical device: a compact keyboard designed for programmers who use Codex, its artificial intelligence tool oriented toward software development. The product is called Codex Micro, was developed in partnership with the company Work Louder, and functions as a physical control center for interacting with AI agents.
The device is priced at $230 and targets advanced Codex users in particular. Its design incorporates physical controls for monitoring agent status, switching between different tasks, and adjusting the reasoning level of the artificial intelligence.
The launch marks OpenAI's entry into the hardware market, though it is not the device that had been anticipated for months by various rumors. The company is working on other physical products, among them a home artificial intelligence assistant that could become its first major device aimed at the general public.
A physical control center for AI agents
Codex Micro was designed as a small control console for Codex's functions. The device includes six translucent keys that light up to display the status of artificial intelligence agents and allow the user to switch between them when working with multiple processes simultaneously.
The indicators also serve to visualize what is happening without needing to constantly look at the computer screen. White represents an inactive agent, while green indicates there is an unread chat. Blue signals that the artificial intelligence is processing information and orange alerts that human approval is required. Pink, meanwhile, identifies errors.
The device also incorporates a rotating knob to adjust the agent's reasoning level and a joystick to navigate between different functions. Added to this is a set of shortcut keys that can be configured to execute common Codex actions.
Among its controls there is also a voice recording function for those who prefer to send spoken prompts to the agents. The keyboard is available with two types of mechanical switches: a clicky version and a silent one, in keeping with the characteristics of the products manufactured by Work Louder.
The Codex Micro also has 32 traditional configurable keys accessible from the ChatGPT application. The idea is to consolidate in a single physical device the actions that are normally executed from the software interface.
The launch comes at a time when OpenAI is reinforcing its commitment to Codex. The company incorporated the tool into its ChatGPT desktop application and, according to data cited in the materials, Codex and ChatGPT Work reached 8 million active users.
The new keyboard thus represents a physical extension of a platform that the company seeks to make a central piece of its artificial intelligence strategy applied to programming.
Other devices
Although the Codex Micro is OpenAI's first physical product, it would not be the device the company plans to make the centerpiece of its hardware strategy for consumers.
For months, rumors circulated about a "wearable" device and possible projects related to smartphones. However, other reports suggest that the company's next major product could be a smart speaker with artificial intelligence features.
According to that information, the gadget would be conceived as an AI companion integrated into the smart home ecosystem. It could control household appliances, play content, answer questions and messages, and leverage various ChatGPT capabilities.
The proposal would seek to go beyond the traditional functionality of a smart speaker. The product would be conceived as a native artificial intelligence computer and as a physical manifestation of the ChatGPT assistant, with the intention of staying close to the user and offering help in a more proactive way.
The device could incorporate a camera to interpret its surroundings and environmental sensors to gather contextual information. It would also have a rechargeable battery, allowing it to be moved from room to room without being permanently plugged into a power source.
Interaction would be primarily voice-based and would use GPT-Live, ChatGPT's mode oriented toward natural conversations. The design, according to reports, could also include some type of movement or mechanical directionality.
OpenAI's hardware strategy would be developed with the participation of LoveFrom, the studio founded by Jony Ive, former chief design officer at Apple. According to reports, the company would be working on five different products, and the speaker would be the first of that family to reach the market, with a launch planned for 2027.
