OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has teamed up with the legendary former Chief Design Officer at Apple, Jony Ive. According to reports, both have joined forces to create what they say will be a breakthrough, new AI device. This device will meet expectations of what they created and popularized with the first iPhone.
The product release is said to move boundaries in AI technology into consumers' hands. The design for the new device is being taken care of by Ive's company called LoveFrom, with Altman overseeing AI-driven functionalities.
The new device would be the result of combining state-of-the-art AI with design principles that made the iPhone one huge hit globally. The person who shaped Apple's aesthetic and showed their input in the previous designs is rumored to be taking the same inspiration as that moment when the iPhone was first developed in 2007. Sources said that the new product will have a more seamless, less disruptive user experience compared to other modern smartphones.
The project is big in scale, but even with this size, the development team for the device is small, consisting only of ten people, among which are veterans from Apple, such as Tang Tan and Evans Hankey. The veteran engineers were involved in the creation of some of Apple's most iconic products, including the iPhone. Thus, it adds rather tall expectations towards the new AI device.
All early leaks seem to indicate that this AI device shall come to life with a less socially disruptive user experience compared to what is largely associated with smartphones as they exist today. Although the specifics are unknown, the device is likely to use generative AI to make it possible to get things done in a lot more intuitive and human-centered way than the rest of the AI-based products around. This is great news for iPhone users worldwide.
The investment will come from Laurene Powell Jobs's investment firm Emerson Collective and Jony Ive himself. The team has already established a 32,000-square-foot office in San Francisco valued at US$90 million (about ₹751.5 crore), proof of the scale and seriousness of this initiative.