What we know
In the United States, voice assistants have already become mainstream thanks to smart speakers. Meta has added five microphones to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, allowing them to better capture conversations in noisy environments. Since June, Google has been testing “Audio Overviews,” a feature that reads out short summaries of search results. Tesla is integrating the Grok chatbot from xAI into its vehicles, enabling voice control over navigation, climate settings, and other functions.
At the same time, startups are actively experimenting with audio-first devices. The developers of the Humane AI Pin reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars before their screenless gadget became a cautionary tale of a high-risk product launch. The Friend AI pendant, which continuously records audio and positions itself as a virtual companion, has raised concerns over privacy risks. Several companies, including Sandbar and a startup founded by Eric Migicovsky (the creator of Pebble), are preparing to launch voice-controlled smart rings in 2026.
Sources say OpenAI’s new audio model will be able to speak more naturally, understand interruptions in conversation, and even respond simultaneously with the user. The company is also considering a family of hardware devices, potentially including glasses or screenless smart speakers. Former Apple chief designer Jony Ive is involved in OpenAI’s audio initiatives, with one of his key goals being to reduce reliance on screens through new device formats.
