Jony Ive and OpenAI's Sam Altman Seeking Funding for Personal AI Device

[MacRumors]

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive have officially teamed up to design an AI-powered personal device and are seeking funding, reports The Information.

Little is known about the AI device at this time, but it won't look like a smartphone. Altman is a major investor in the Humane AI pin, a wearable AI device that does not have a screen, so it's possible he will create a similar product with Ive.

News of a possible partnership between Ive and Altman first surfaced last fall, but talks were in the early stages and nothing was official then. Ive and Altman's unnamed startup is now sourcing funds from major venture capitalists, with Ive aiming to raise up to $1 billion in funding.

OpenAI could own a piece of the business, and the duo has also been in talks with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Potential investors include Thrive Capital, an OpenAI investor, and Emerson Collective, a venture capital firm and philanthropic organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

Ive left his role as Apple design chief in 2019, and while he still worked with the Cupertino company as a consultant for several years after through his firm LoveFrom, Ive and Apple stopped working together entirely in 2022.

Article Link: Jony Ive and OpenAI's Sam Altman Seeking Funding for Personal AI Device

 

[jz0309]

instant NON-buy

 

[imaginex20]

Is this a Joke? April Fools late joke

 

[klasma]

People won’t want to carry around another device, and it won’t replace a smartphone, so… dead in the water?

 

[a3Dman]

Can't wait for its release video narrated by Ive himself.

 

[oofio2461]

Once these Ai Services shut down they will only be e-waste.

 

[klasma]

It’s three devices in one: a Star Trek Communicator, a tricorder, and a phaser! Now that would sell.

 

[Reason077]

AI device? Jony Ive? Sounds very investment-worthy! Take my money!!

If they can just find a way to integrate blockchain technology, autonomous self-driving, and robotics too, this will be a dream start-up!

 

[arthurgd3]

I think we will need to see once the initial batch of the Rabbit R1 devices reach regular folks hands and how useful they are in day to day use be it by itself or in conjunction with your smartphone since this sounds like it would be similar to that. The demo of the Rabbit R1 done by their CEO is very unrealistic for me to use day to day in place of my phone so I can't imagine this will be a whole lot different from that.

 

[jayducharme]

I wonder if Ive's greatest work is forever behind him, now that he doesn't have Steve Jobs to keep him focused. I guess we'll find out. I wonder if the new AI device will be made of alumineeum, or whether it will be unapologetically plastic.

 

[snak-atak]

To CHATGPT - Provide me a photo of my grandfather intently watching the news on his iPad. Add an Apple Watch on his left wrist, white undershirt, and grey bathrobe.

 

[Fuzzball84]

I wonder if Ive's greatest work is forever behind him, now that he doesn't have Steve Jobs to keep him focused. I guess we'll find out. I wonder if the new AI device will be made of alumineeum, or whether it will be unapologetically plastic.

Its usually the case that there are multiple people behind new ideas, inventions and innovations. Sure Ive had ideas… but in these times the vast majority of things are team efforts.

 

[NMBob]

"I really shouldn't have insisted on the font being so small and light in color."

 

[mikethebigo]

Hate to say it but Ive just isn't the same without Jobs.

 

[scrapesleon]

Not to worry Johy Tim gonna give some of the shares he sold today

 

[Harry Haller]

Maybe it's April 1st on Uranus.

 

[Ferry74]

Jony made everything thinner, except…

 

[wbeasley]

ThinAI

 

[Unity451]

Jony Ive designs revolutionary products at Apple that establish Apple in the mainstream.

Jony Ive leaves Apple.

Apple design products that are progressively worse.

Apple struggles to maintain innovative edge among increasing competition.

Jony Ive starts a new tech company that will become more Apple than Apple.

 

[Harry Haller]

Jony Ive designs revolutionary products at Apple that establish Apple in the mainstream.

Jony Ive leaves Apple.

Apple design products that are progressively worse.

Apple struggles to maintain innovative edge among increasing competition.

Jony Ive starts a new tech company that will become more Apple than Apple.

How has LoveFrom out Appled Apple in the last 5 years?

 

[Miles Teg]

Hoping it comes in rose gold.

 

[Born Again]

not a very flattering photo of the great ives.

 

[McWetty]

That title pic… it always reminds me of my weird old uncle using an iPad for the first time. Haha.

 

[MrTemple]

News from 5y from now: Despite the company's failure, Jony Ive still doesn't regret omitting the speaker holes, display, or indeed any way to interact with the device itself, repeating over and over his most memed moment of the catastrophic unveiling video:

"The lines of the unbroken uni-orb case took inspiration from the silver dew collected by the fine hairs of the ambrosia fruit at the exquisitely precise moment of sunrise on the autumnal equinox atop Mount Olympus itself."

 

[Surf Monkey]

The hostility towards Ive is weird. Even MacRumors itself engages in it by using that intentionally awful photo of him. How insulting and unnecessary.