Jony Ive confirms he is working on an OpenAI hardware design project

Jony Ive has, for the first time, confirmed he is working with OpenAI on a new mobile hardware product. The famed former chief design officer at Apple has been notoriously tight-lipped about ongoing projects at his new LoveFrom agency, so it is good to hear that he is again hoping to contribute his design flair to the world of tech. While Ive’s profile piece in The New York Times is quite lengthy, and the result of a two-day interview process, details about the OpenAI device remain very thin on the ground.

We aren’t surprised that this particular product design collaboration has come about. This time last year it emerged that Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman were having conversations about creating hardware for artificial intelligence. At the time, unnamed sources also indicated that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son had also been involved in the talks.

With Ive’s history, one may feel confident in expecting that the LoveFrom and OpenAI collaboration will involve a consumer-focused device. The NYT report hints as much too, revealing that Ive and Altman talked about what advanced AI could bring to messaging, visual intelligence, and the understanding of complex requests by end-users.

After several dinner meetings, the pair agreed to forge ahead by building a product with LoveFrom leading the design process. To get the ball rolling money has been raised privately to champion the new AI product and brand. The NYT says that the fledgling firm may seek up to $1 billion in startup funding from tech investors before 2024 is out.

All we know for now is that the big idea is to create “a product that uses AI to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.” Sadly, the source report doesn’t go any further into the details of the device. This is understandable, as rivals are still struggling with a killer app for AI, and we have seen several high-profile dedicated AI device misfires like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1. The new AI product firm will want to keep its cards close to its chest and have as long a period with the first-mover-advantage as possible.

For now, we will have to wait and see what Ive and Altman have brewing. Hopefully, we won’t get another Ai hardware flop, and they can create something with true, broad appeal that works as intended. More details may be forthcoming before the end of the year, as the team behind the device will need bait to attract big investment.