OpenAI’s $70 ChatGPT basketball is merch, not a bot in a ball

OpenAI is now selling a $70 ChatGPT basketball, and no, it will not coach your jump shot.

The company lists the ball through Supply Co., its online store for branded clothing, collectibles, desk gear and limited-edition hardware. OpenAI says the product is part of a campaign called “Pause. Play. Prompt.,” which presents the ball as a nudge to step away from screens and let ideas arrive during play.

The item itself is straightforward. OpenAI describes it as a standard Size 7 basketball made entirely of rubber. It has no artificial intelligence, no sensors, no internet connection and no built-in tech.

The oddity makes more sense inside Supply Co., which OpenAI describes on its site as documenting the “visual culture” around intelligent systems. The store began as an internal merch project for employees, according to OpenAI, before its cards, hoodies and folding chairs became part of the company’s culture.

OpenAI’s shop is getting bigger

Supply Co. now sells far more than a logo tee. Current listings include a $40 “Good Research” T-shirt, a $50 ChatGPT long-sleeve shirt, a $100 Codex hoodie, a $40 Blossom hat, $15 matching socks, a $45 embroidered tote with OpenAI character Bloop and a $25 Nalgene bottle with pixel-style graphics.

The priciest clothing item mentioned in the current lineup is the $175 Research Half Zip, a Portuguese cotton fleece sweater with “research” embroidered on the chest. OpenAI says its collar recalls the company’s “days in academia.”

The archive gets stranger. OpenAI has previously made or sold items including a rice cooker, dinner plates, a wooden checkerboard, a tape measure, earplugs, a hair claw, a Raspberry Pi kit, a soccer jersey, active shorts, flying discs, folding chairs and an earlier Blossom basketball.

Online reaction to the wider product line has been mixed, according to reports tracking the launch. The basketball, in particular, has raised the obvious question of why a leading AI company is selling a plain rubber ball.

One gadget in the store does connect to AI

Supply Co. also carries Codex Micro, a $230 desktop controller built with Work Louder, a hardware company known for customizable mechanical keyboards and shortcut devices. OpenAI calls it a “command center for agentic work.”

The controller is meant for users of Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent. Its light-up Agent Keys show whether an agent is thinking, running, waiting or done, according to OpenAI. A joystick can trigger workflows such as reviewing pull requests, debugging errors and refactoring code.

Other controls can accept or reject changes, open a new chat, record spoken instructions and adjust how much reasoning Codex applies to a task. OpenAI says the device works over Bluetooth or USB-C with Mac and Windows computers. It was offered with clicky or silent mechanical switches before selling out.

OpenAI is chasing physical products

The store arrives as OpenAI is also pursuing hardware beyond merch. Bloomberg reported on July 14 that the company is developing a portable, screenless device resembling a smart speaker. The report said it could answer questions, play media, respond to messages and control smart-home devices through ChatGPT.

Bloomberg reported that cameras and sensors would help the device understand what is happening around a user, making it comparable to an Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple HomePod with more environmental awareness.

Reuters reported that OpenAI acquired Jony Ive’s device startup, io, in 2025 for about $6.5 billion. Ive’s design firm LoveFrom is working on the product with OpenAI researchers, engineers and former Apple employees, according to reports.

Apple has alleged that OpenAI used confidential information to accelerate its hardware plans. OpenAI has said it is not interested in Apple’s trade secrets. The allegations have not been proven, and OpenAI has not announced the device’s design, price or release date.

This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.