BUCHAREST – May 5, 2024 – OpenAI is joining forces with former Apple design head Jony Ive to build dedicated hardware aimed at revolutionizing artificial intelligence. This collaboration aims to move beyond existing devices by creating tools specifically designed to enhance AI interactions. the strategic partnership, backed by a reported $5 billion investment, seeks to redefine how we engage with AI, building on Ive’s legacy and altman’s AI expertise.
At the core,OpenAI and ive aspire to design the next generation of devices tailored for AI. The initiative, driven by the belief that current interfaces are ineffective, seeks to refine the user experience-an area where Ive’s experience and OpenAI’s ambition appear well-suited to succeed. What remains, is your continued interest and engagement as new information unfolds.
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OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is setting its sights on a new frontier: hardware. The goal? To create devices specifically designed for artificial intelligence, moving beyond the limitations of conventional keyboards and screens. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, believes that current devices introduce too much potential friction
between users and AI.
To realise this vision, OpenAI is partnering with Jony Ive, the former head of design at apple, renowned for his work on iconic products like the iMac G3, iPod, and iPhone. Together, Altman and Ive aim to develop hardware that seamlessly integrates with AI software. Altman envisions a future where everyone has access to a team of geniuses
-presumably ChatGPT-style assistants-on a family of devices.
He argues that such technology deserves something much better
than today’s laptops.
Jony Ive spent nearly three decades at Apple, shaping the company’s design philosophy and contributing to some of the most influential consumer electronics of our time.
OpenAI will reportedly pay approximately $5 billion to acquire ive’s start-up, io.Ive will assume deep design and creative responsibilities
across OpenAI.
This move into hardware could be OpenAI’s most transformative expansion, both technologically and financially. The ambition is clear: to replace the smartphones and computers that currently dominate our digital lives. If successful, OpenAI devices could become the primary interface for accessing news, managing finances, and performing countless other tasks.
Altman contends that existing devices offer cumbersome ways to interact with AI. Users must navigate through apps or websites, upload information, and repeatedly prompt AI bots. Ive echoes this sentiment, suggesting that the era of personal computers and smartphones-a period he helped define-needs a refresh. It’s just common sense to at least think, surely, there’s something beyond these legacy products,
Ive told Altman.
Consider how AI integration could streamline yoru daily tasks. imagine a device that anticipates your needs and provides information proactively, without the need for constant prompting.
While the specifics of the new hardware remain undisclosed, the vision points toward wearable AI pins, smartglasses, and other devices that create an external brain,
as Altman described it.
Previous attempts at creating wearable AI devices have largely failed. For example, Humane, the maker of a $700 AI “pin,” shut down less than a year after launch due to poor reviews. Ive acknowledged these shortcomings in an interview, calling these early AI gadgets very poor products.
Despite past setbacks, the combination of altman’s AI expertise and Ive’s design prowess offers a promising path forward.
A dedicated AI device would substantially accelerate OpenAI’s commercial goals. The company, now valued at $300 billion, reports that half a billion people use ChatGPT each week. OpenAI aims to challenge major tech firms by offering AI-powered alternatives to search engines, online shopping platforms, and office software. The company is even reportedly building a social-media platform.
How would a dedicated AI device change your daily routine? What tasks would you delegate to an AI assistant?
Altman’s strategy involves consolidating digital life into a unified hardware and software ecosystem. The goal is to create a seamless experience that integrates various aspects of users’ lives, making OpenAI’s products indispensable. This approach mirrors Apple’s successful strategy of creating a cohesive ecosystem of devices and services.
Other tech giants are also integrating generative AI into their existing devices and software. Amazon has incorporated AI into Alexa, google into Android and its search bar, and Apple into the iPhone. Meta offers AI-powered smartglasses. However, these integrations have often resulted in clunky user experiences and questionable results, such as risky health advice and inaccurate news summaries.
Nearly two decades ago,Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone,calling it a revolutionary product that changes everything.
Altman seems to be pursuing a similar level of impact. In the announcement video, he stated, I think we have the opportunity here to kind of entirely reimagine what it means to use a computer.
While Jobs had a tangible product to showcase, Altman is currently selling a vision.
What is OpenAI planning to do?
OpenAI is partnering with Jony Ive to create new hardware devices specifically designed for AI.
Who is Jony ive?
Jony Ive is the former head of design at Apple, known for his work on the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.
Why is OpenAI moving into hardware?
OpenAI believes current devices are not optimized for AI interaction and wants to create a more seamless experience.
How much is OpenAI investing in this project?
OpenAI is reportedly paying approximately $5 billion to acquire Jony Ive’s start-up,Io.
What kind of devices are they planning to build?
While the specifics are unknown, the vision includes wearable AI pins, smartglasses, and other devices that act as an “external brain.”
