Jony Ive joins hands with OpenAI to create super AI device

Jony Ive told the New York Times that he met OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at a San Francisco restaurant after being set up by Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb and a close friend of Altman. The meeting took place last year, but is only now being made public.

During the meeting, Altman and Ive discussed how to create new AI computing devices, agreeing that the technology could do more for users than traditional software, such as summarizing and prioritizing messages, or handling complex requests like booking travel.

However, no consensus was reached at this meeting. The two then had several more dinners before agreeing to build a next-generation AI product, with Ive’s LoveFrom taking on the design. Details of the product, however, were not disclosed.

The project has raised some money so far, mostly from Ive and Emerson Collective, the company founded by Powell Jobs, the widow of the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The project aims to raise $1 billion from tech investors by the end of the year.

Ive has also been preparing the infrastructure for the new project and recruiting staff. In February, he spent more than $60 million on a 3,000-square-foot building called the Little Fox Theater, located near LoveFrom’s headquarters, and hired about 10 people, including two former Apple employees: Tang Tan, who oversaw the development of the iPhone, and Evans Hankey, Ive’s successor at Apple’s design department.

The project is being developed in secret. The parties have not yet revealed what the product will be or when it will be released. According to PhoneArena's prediction based on the information shared, Ive and Altman may be aiming for a "super AI" device with the goal of revolutionizing software, capable of accessing any part of the operating system, freeing users from having to manually control it.

The new device could even use its cameras, sensors, and microphones to understand context. For example, if you’re thinking about calling someone, just pick up the device and it will automatically make the call. Or maybe it will detect when you’re about to leave and automatically book a cab. This is something that AI phones like the Humane AI Pin or Rabbit R1 are aiming for, but Ive’s device could do better.

However, PhoneArena also believes that the new device may face some barriers. For example, many people are concerned about privacy and object to digital devices interfering too deeply in their lives.

"Ive has turned an oversized device like the iPad into a popular and beloved product. So perhaps he has what it takes, and we can expect a revolutionary product in a few years," the site wrote.

In April, The Information reported that Altman and Ive had officially teamed up to design and produce a personal device powered by generative AI that wasn’t a smartphone, and were seeking funding for the project. At the time, some speculated that Ive’s efforts could pit LoveFrom against Apple in the future, as the company is also focusing on developing AI with Apple Intelligence.