Longtime Apple design head Jony Ive has largely avoided creating new tech devices since starting his own firm, LoveFrom. But early details on Ive’s new “personalized AI device” have revealed the designer could be treading familiar territory in his partnership with OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Ive’s AI product designs are still early, but evoke ‘phone’ comparisons
Stephanie Palazzolo and Jessica E. Lessin write at The Information:
OpenAI in recent weeks discussed acquiring a startup its CEO Sam Altman has been working on with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive’s studio to develop an artificial intelligence-powered personal device, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal talks. […]
Designs for the AI device are still early and haven’t been finalized, the people said. Potential designs include a “phone” without a screen and AI-enabled household devices, they said. Others close to the project are adamant that it is “not a phone.”
That second paragraph shows how potentially innovative Ive’s new project is, as The Information’s sources seem to have trouble even making a comparison to existing products.
The idea of it being a phone “without a screen” is on one hand absurd, but it also helps indicate the direction of the product.
It may not technically be a phone, as certain sources are adamant about, but it may very well work a lot like one.
Unlike failed AI hardware such as the Humane Ai Pin, it seems Ive’s new product could be much more than just a niche companion to the smartphone. It’s possible its ambitions are to replace it altogether.
Of course, work is still early, and details are scarce. But the early hints point to a device that’s very exciting to me personally, truly built from the ground up for the AI age.
It’s no surprise, then, that OpenAI is considering acquiring io products, the Sam Altman company that’s working on the product with Ive. It’s already powered by OpenAI’s tech, so bringing io into OpenAI’s fold makes a lot of sense.
What do you make of these early details on Jony Ive’s new AI product? Let us know in the comments.
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