Jony Ive, former Apple design chief, confirms partnership with OpenAI
Jony Ive, the former chief design officer at Apple, has confirmed his collaboration with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. This revelation comes a year after initial reports suggested that the two were working together on a hardware project. The information was disclosed in a profile published by The New York Times. However, specific details about this venture remain limited at this stage.
Project's funding and potential investors
The project is financially backed by Ive and the Emerson Collective, a company owned by Laurene Powell Jobs. The New York Times suggests that this venture could potentially attract up to $1 billion in funding by year-end. However, there was no mention of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who was rumored last year to have invested a similar amount into the project.
A small team with big ambitions
Currently, the project team comprises just 10 members. Notably among them are Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, both of whom previously collaborated with Ive on the iPhone. Last year's rumors suggested that the device they're developing could be influenced by touchscreen technology, and draw inspiration from the original iPhone — a speculation that aligns with Tan's and Hankey's involvement in this venture.
AI's role in the new computing device
The New York Times profile revealed that Altman and Ive discussed how generative AI could enable the creation of a new computing device. They believe this technology could offer more user benefits than traditional software as it has the potential to summarize and prioritize messages, identify and name objects like plants, and eventually handle complex tasks such as travel bookings.
