OpenAI’s Foray into Hardware
OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence (AI) lab behind ChatGPT, has made its first foray into the hardware market with the launch of Micro, a keypad designed to pair seamlessly with its popular AI tool. This move comes amidst a backdrop of controversy, with Apple recently suing OpenAI, accusing it of trade theft. The lawsuit has sparked a long-simmering legal battle between the two tech giants.
Source: techcrunch.com
The news of OpenAI’s hardware ambitions has also raised eyebrows, particularly with the development of another smart home product, reportedly built by former Apple engineers. However, for now, Micro remains the only tangible product from OpenAI’s hardware division.
About Micro
Micro is a keypad designed to delight tech enthusiasts, particularly coders and power users of ChatGPT. Developed in collaboration with specialty keyboard designer Work Louder, this keypad is a sturdy device that can easily double as a paperweight if the AI accessory thing doesn’t work out. The packaging, an immaculate white box with a sleek, clean aesthetic, bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s design language.
The keypad’s layout features six frosted ‘agent’ keys at the top, which can be customized to carry out specific tasks within ChatGPT or its agentic coding tool Codex. Below these keys are six command keys, used to control those programs. Micro can be paired with a computer via either a Bluetooth connection or a USB cable.
One of the most convenient features of Micro is its voice dictation button, allowing users to simply tell the app what they want done, and it will get busy working on their behalf. To use this feature, users need only hold down the dictation button and start talking; when they’re done, they can tap the ‘send’ button next to it to submit their request.
Users can customize their Micro keypad within ChatGPT itself, where a Micro tab allows them to adjust everything from the brightness of the light from the keys to the specific commands and projects tied to those keys.
Target Audience and Reception
Micro’s target audience is primarily hard-core coders, and reviews from Redditors have been largely negative, with one user calling it ‘a prank and not a real product.’ Others have expressed skepticism, stating that serious coders won’t touch it. A review by the independent outlet Aftermath was even harsher, labeling the $230 price tag as hard to justify next to cheaper DIY and off-the-shelf alternatives.
However, once users figure out how Micro works and what to do with it, they may find it to be a fun and efficient tool. By assigning various ChatGPT sessions to specific keys, users can easily toggle back and forth between their projects. When combined with the dictation button, this makes the whole experience considerably more efficient and enjoyable.
Despite this, there is still a learning curve to using Micro. The keypad’s buttons are color-coded, with white indicating an idle agent, blue meaning it’s thinking, green signifying a completed task, and red denoting an error. Users will need to memorize this color coding, as well as the specific projects tied to each key.
The big question, however, is whether Micro is functionally easier to use than continuing to work on a laptop. In short, why would users spend a week learning how to program and operate this device when they already know how to use their computer’s mouse and keyboard?
