Sam Altman And Former Apple Executive Team Up for Next-Gen AI Computing Device

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Apple's former design director Jony Ive, and Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs are reportedly planning to co-found a startup focused on artificial intelligence devices.

In September last year, Altman and Ive were rumored to have already begun making contact. Ive himself confirmed this plan in a profile on Saturday.

Ive worked at Apple for nearly 30 years and founded LoveFrom in 2019 after leaving the company. He was responsible for the design of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

It is said that Ive and Altman have had multiple dinners together to discuss how to develop a new type of computing device centered around artificial intelligence. Laurene Powell Jobs will join the preparation of this startup through her investment and philanthropic company, Emerson Collective.

LoveFrom co-founder Marc Newson revealed that Ive and Altman are still exploring the product and its release date. The media has also reported that the startup is expected to raise to $1 billion in seed funding before the end of this year.

Steve Jobs' former right-hand man and Steve Jobs' widow seem to have found a new common ground in Altman. In previous news, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son also seemed very interested in this artificial intelligence device and has promised an investment of $1 billion.

The project currently has 10 employees, including Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, who were key figures in Ive's design of the iPhone. There were rumors last year that the new device was inspired by touchscreen technology and the first-generation iPhone.

However, Altman denied speculation that the new device would be an alternative smartphone, stating that the product under development would not threaten smartphones, and he has no interest in competing with smartphones.

That being said, the prospects for artificial intelligence devices are still shrouded in mystery at present. Ai Pin, developed by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, can be said to be one of the most representative products in this field, but the product was reported last month to have a return rate exceeding the purchase rate.

Ive, however, remains very optimistic about the project in hand. In the profile, he stated that his goal is to create a new product that creates a computing experience that is less disruptive to social interactions than the iPhone