Jony Ive, the iconic designer behind Apple’s iPhone and MacBook Pro, has joined OpenAI to lead the creation of new devices tailored for generative artificial intelligence, the ChatGPT creator announced in a video released Wednesday.
Ive, who founded the design firm LoveFrom after leaving Apple, began collaborating with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman two years ago. Their shared vision led to the formation of a new company, named “io,” which is now merging with OpenAI. Ive will take charge of design and creative direction at the AI startup.
Altman praised a prototype device Ive shared as “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.” He emphasised the need for revolutionary hardware to complement the transformative power of AI, explaining that “this technology deserves something much better” than simply typing questions on a laptop.
“The products that connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old,” Ive said. “It’s just common sense to think there’s something beyond these legacy products.”
OpenAI, based in San Francisco, plans to reveal the results of this collaboration next year. The move follows OpenAI’s recent decision to remain a nonprofit, dropping previous plans to convert to a fully for-profit company. Since its founding in 2015, OpenAI has grown into a Silicon Valley leader, particularly after the successful launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
