OpenAI is going to expand its offerings to include hardware solutions. The opportunity is there now that the company managed to snag Caitlin Kalinowski. The former manager of the AR glasses development team at Meta.
Kalinowski says he will be involved in the development of robotic and consumer hardware in the new role at OpenAI. No details are known about OpenAI’s hardware plans, and Kalinowski does not share much about that on X. “In my new role, I will initially focus on OpenAI’s robotics work and partnerships to help bring AI into the physical world and unlock its benefits for humanity.”
Financial challenges
The expansion into hardware could be seen as an effort by OpenAI to achieve better financial results. They are declining as the company’s chatbot is struggling to keep up with competitors’ innovations in the AI field. That is causing users to disappear, and lead investor Microsoft also seems to be cautiously looking at alternatives.
The company needs to look at how it can continue to secure its funding in the future now that known cashflows seem to be drying up. In the recent capital round, the company did well to replenish its reserves, but at the expense of the confidence of several executives. They left for competitors or are currently focusing on founding their own AI companies.
Tip! Capital or security: OpenAI undergoes consequences of choosing capital