Will OpenAI Develop Custom AI Chips, Robots, and Quantum Computing?

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is drawing attention for potentially venturing into the development of various artificial intelligence (AI) related hardware.

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According to IT specialized media TechCrunch on the 3rd (local time), OpenAI submitted a trademark registration application for products related to OpenAI to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the 31st of last month.

Although many companies frequently submit trademark registrations, so the submission itself is not highly significant, this application reportedly provides hints not only about products OpenAI plans to release in the near future but also about its future product lines. The application included devices such as headphones, goggles, glasses, remote controls, laptop and phone cases, smartwatches, smart accessories, virtual and augmented reality headsets with AI capabilities, and robots.

In particular, regarding robots, OpenAI described them as "humanoids equipped with communication and learning functions to help and entertain people." OpenAI recently began forming a new robotics team and recruited Caitlin Kalinowski, who was the head of Meta’s augmented reality (AR) hardware team, last November for this purpose.

TechCrunch stated, "Based on recent job postings, OpenAI appears to be aiming to test robots with human-like intelligence in real environments by utilizing customized sensors and AI," adding, "It is likely that these robots will be humanoid."

Additionally, the application mentioned customized AI chips and quantum computing-related services. OpenAI is already known to be pursuing the development of customized chips to run its own AI models. It operates a department that co-designs chip components and is collaborating with semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom and Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturer), aiming to launch customized chips by 2026.

Regarding quantum computing, OpenAI’s plans have not yet been disclosed in detail, but TechCrunch reported that OpenAI hired an engineer last year who was responsible for quantum system design at the quantum computing startup PsiQuantum.

By leveraging quantum computing, it is possible to perform massive computations simultaneously, dramatically improving the efficiency of AI model training. Given the enormous costs currently involved in AI training, OpenAI may be envisioning a future where models are trained on hardware with a completely different architecture. However, the media added that trademark applications are often broadly written and do not necessarily directly reflect a company’s product roadmap.

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