OpenAI teams with Johnny Ive to develop AI device

OpenAI, a leader in generative artificial intelligence, is joining forces with legendary iPhone designer Johnny Ive to create a dedicated AI hardware device. The partnership marks OpenAI’s move to expand its reach beyond AI software like ChatGPT into the hardware sector.

On May 21, The Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported that OpenAI will acquire “io,” an AI device startup founded by Ive, through a $6.5 billion all-stock deal, the largest acquisition in OpenAI’s history.

Ive, a British industrial designer, worked alongside Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to design iconic products including the iPhone, iPod, and Mac. After leaving Apple in 2019, he launched io with former Apple executives Scott Cannon and Evans Hankey to develop new devices for the coming era of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Through this acquisition, OpenAI plans to develop AI-focused devices for the “post-smartphone” era. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have quietly collaborated for two years on next-generation AI hardware concepts. Ideas include screenless devices, such as headphones with integrated cameras.

As OpenAI steps into hardware, industry observers are keen to see whether this collaboration could spark the creation of a “second iPhone.” The combination of Ive’s design expertise and OpenAI’s AGI technology is expected to produce AI devices unlike any currently on the market.


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