Key Takeaways
- OpenAI is joining forces with design firm io, co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, to create new AI hardware.
- The collaboration is sparking immense excitement, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Ive making bold claims about its revolutionary potential.
- Specifics about the first device are scarce, but it’s hinted to be a new category of personal tech, not a phone or smart glasses replacement, and could launch relatively soon.
- The vision extends to a “family of devices” aimed at making AI interaction intuitive and widely accessible.
A major buzz is building in the tech world as OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced a new venture. They are teaming up with io, a design studio formed just two years ago by a group that includes renowned former Apple designer Jony Ive.
Ive, credited as a key designer of iconic Apple products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, brings his considerable expertise to this new AI hardware project. While Ive isn’t officially joining OpenAI, his creative consultancy, LoveFrom, will play a central role in design across OpenAI and io.
This partnership formalizes a behind-the-scenes collaboration between Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman that has been ongoing for a few years. According to an official statement from Gear Patrol, the io team will now merge with OpenAI to work more closely with its research and product teams.
The news was shared in an unconventional way: a letter from Altman and Ive, accompanied by a video. In it, both leaders expressed immense enthusiasm for the project. Altman P_ARAGRAPH_REPLACEMENT_Ive described the project with grand statements, with Altman even calling a prototype “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”
Altman suggested they have an opportunity to “completely reimagine what it means to use a computer,” believing we are at “the beginning of what I believe will be the greatest technological revolution of our lifetimes.” Ive shared a similar sentiment, stating, “everything I have learned over the last years has led me to this place, to this moment.”
Details about the actual product are still under wraps. However, Altman has indicated it won’t aim to replace existing devices like smartphones or laptops, nor will it be smart glasses. Instead, it’s envisioned as a “third core device” that works alongside them, possibly being aware of a user’s personal details and surroundings.
Given Ive’s past comments about the “unintended consequences” of screen addiction with the iPhone, speculation is high that this new hardware might move away from traditional screen-based interactions. Ive has also previously criticized early AI-powered gadgets like smart pins as “very poor products.”
Altman is reportedly very optimistic about the device’s reception, anticipating record-breaking sales. Both he and Ive emphasize this isn’t about a single gadget but about creating a “family of devices” to help people use AI for creative purposes.
Accessibility appears to be a key goal. Altman has expressed a desire for the technology to be democratized, available for everyone to turn their ideas into reality. “I want everybody to have it,” he stated.
While many previous AI hardware ventures have made big promises and fallen short, the combined force of OpenAI’s AI leadership and Jony Ive’s design prowess has created immense anticipation. The tech world is now eagerly waiting to see if they can deliver on their ambitious vision.
