OpenAI's Secret Jony Ive Project Could Be an AI-Powered Pen
Leaked patent reveals what the $1 billion AI hardware partnership has been building.
Leaked patent reveals what the $1 billion AI hardware partnership has been building.
By Jonathan Small | edited by Jessica Thomas | Jan 02, 2026
OpenAI’s secret hardware project with Apple design legend Jony Ive could be an AI-powered pen that’s basically ChatGPT in your hand, according to a newly surfaced patent.
The smart pen packs a camera that watches you write, instantly digitizing your handwriting, while ChatGPT offers real-time suggestions to clean up your typos. It’s like having an editor looking over your shoulder.
OpenAI has dumped $1 billion into this hardware partnership with Ive, and with patents now leaking and the recent Operator AI agent launch, the mysterious gadget may finally be taking shape. Whether it actually ships is another story — tech companies file patents like writers start books they never finish.
OpenAI’s secret hardware project with Apple design legend Jony Ive could be an AI-powered pen that’s basically ChatGPT in your hand, according to a newly surfaced patent.
The smart pen packs a camera that watches you write, instantly digitizing your handwriting, while ChatGPT offers real-time suggestions to clean up your typos. It’s like having an editor looking over your shoulder.
OpenAI has dumped $1 billion into this hardware partnership with Ive, and with patents now leaking and the recent Operator AI agent launch, the mysterious gadget may finally be taking shape. Whether it actually ships is another story — tech companies file patents like writers start books they never finish.