Apple Icon Jony Ive Teams Up with OpenAI
AFP/APP
San Francisco: The iconic designer behind Apple’s most revolutionary products, Jony Ive, has officially joined OpenAI to develop groundbreaking hardware tailored for generative AI experiences.
Ive and his team will lead product design at OpenAI through the acquisition of his design firm, “LoveFrom IO”, in a deal reportedly valued at $6.5 billion.
“Coolest Tech the World Will Have Ever Seen”
In a video released Wednesday by OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman expressed enthusiasm over a prototype Ive shared, calling it “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”
While no technical details were disclosed, OpenAI concluded the announcement with a promise to unveil the results of this collaboration in 2026.
A New Era of Human-AI Interaction
Altman emphasized that AI, as a “magic intelligence,” requires a revolutionary interface, rather than the outdated model of typing prompts into laptops or smartphones.
“The products that we’re using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old,” said Ive.
“So it’s just common sense to think — surely there’s something beyond these legacy products.”
The collaboration between Ive and Altman began two years ago, evolving into what they called a “new company” to develop, engineer, and manufacture a new family of products.
Potential Threat to Apple?
The move comes at a time when Apple’s AI strategy has lagged behind competitors, particularly around the development of Siri, its voice assistant. The company has delayed updates to Siri and the rollout of new AI features in the iPhone 16.
Following the announcement, Apple shares dropped nearly 3% in after-hours trading.
OpenAI’s move into hardware could pose a significant challenge to smartphone dominance, especially with competitors like Amazon pushing AI-powered Alexa+ into smart home devices.
Learning from Humane’s AI Pin Failure
The idea of wearable AI is not new. In 2024, startup Humane launched its AI Pin, a brooch-style assistant. Despite the hype, it failed due to high cost and poor functionality, leading to its acquisition by HP at a discount.
“Right now, the phone is the medium through which you can access these technologies,”
said Roger Beharry Lall, director at IDC.
“If anyone can figure out what the next-generation interface is going to look like, it’s probably Mr. Ive.”
OpenAI’s Expanding Empire
Since its launch of ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI has rapidly become one of Silicon Valley’s most influential players, reshaping the AI landscape and now preparing to redefine how humans interact with AI through hardware innovation.
