According to sources, the former design chief at Apple, Johnny Ive, and the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, are collaborating to build a personal device powered by artificial intelligence, and now they are seeking to raise funding of up to a billion dollars, as reported by The Information. The unnamed startup is raising funds from investment heads and major investors, including potential investors such as Thrive Capital, an investor in OpenAI, and Emerson Collective, a venture capital company founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.
While details about the artificial intelligence device remain scarce, sources say it will not resemble a typical smartphone.
Altman, a prominent investor in screenless Artificial Intelligence startup Humane AI, may be working on a similar product with Ive.
Recent reports indicate that the duo is brainstorming ideas, focusing on finding a natural and intuitive way to interact with artificial intelligence, akin to how the first iPhone revolutionized mobile computing with its touch screen.
Son Masayoshi, CEO of SoftBank, has been in talks with Ive and Altman, proposing involvement of ARM, a chip design company in which SoftBank holds a 90% stake. The trio discussed the potential creation of a new company leveraging talent and technology from their three groups, but the deal has not been finalized yet, and an official announcement may take several months.
Ive, who left his role as Apple’s design chief in 2019, worked with the company as a consultant through his firm LoveFrom. However, their partnership ended in 2022. Ive’s new project with Altman may put them in competition with Apple, which has made significant strides in artificial intelligence and machine learning through its devices and services. Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted at AI-related announcements by the end of 2024.
To further bolster the project, Tang Tang, former head of design for Apple Watch and iPhone at Apple, will join LoveFrom in February. Tang will lead hardware design at the company and work on shaping upcoming products, including the artificial intelligence device. During his tenure at Apple, Tang worked on designing the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
While the project is still in its early stages, focusing on talent acquisition and concept creation, sources say the company is currently developing smart home devices, with OpenAI providing the software for these products. If the hardware product is successfully developed, it may take years before it reaches the market.
