New Delhi, July 17 -- SAN FRANCISCO - Someone at OpenAI decided the company needed a basketball. It costs $70, is made of 100% rubber, and is described in the campaign materials as "a physical reminder that creativity doesn't just live on our screens." The ball is orange. The logo is ChatGPT. This is a product you can buy right now, and it is not a joke.

The basketball is part of OpenAI's "Pause. Play. Prompt." merchandise launch, released Wednesday alongside a $230 mini keyboard the company calls a "command center for agentic work" and a $175 quarter-zip sweatshirt that has the word "research" printed in cursive. The collection is styled like gear for a tech company that has decided its tools belong on a lifestyle shelf next to branded ...