Sam Altman and renowned iPhone designer Jony Ive have apparently joined forces on a forthcoming consumer AI device, signalling a potential step forward in materializing this covert undertaking. Reports from Bloomberg suggest that Altman and Ive have enlisted the expertise of Tang Tan, a design luminary from Apple, to helm the creation of their new product.
Speculations have abounded regarding the collaboration between Sam Altman and Jony Ive to craft OpenAI’s inaugural hardware device. Now, recent developments hint at the veiled nature of this innovative project taking a tangible shape. According to Bloomberg’s report, the heads of OpenAI and the iconic iPhone designer have brought aboard Tang Tan, a key figure responsible for steering the product design of Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch.
Tan’s purported move to join LoveFrom, the design entity initiated by Ive following his departure from Apple in 2019, signifies his involvement in engineering the much-anticipated AI-driven gadget, with OpenAI contributing on the software front. This transition marks the latest instance of an exodus of Apple’s design visionaries converging at LoveFrom, with reports suggesting the recent inclusion of Apple executive Shota Aoyagi from Ive’s former team, as detailed by Bloomberg.
The arrival of Tan serves as the newest chapter in the prolonged conjecture encircling the partnership between Altman and the maestro behind the iPhone. While specifics remain elusive, initial concepts, as per Bloomberg’s report, hint at a series of devices tailored for household use.
Previously, The Information hinted at discussions between Altman and Ive regarding an undisclosed AI-powered device, with purported involvement from Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son. Altman has clarified that any AI hardware he spearheads will not aim to supplant the ubiquitous smartphone, affirming during The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event earlier in the year that he harbors “no interest” in competing with a device as widely embraced as the iPhone.
Despite this assertion, the buzz surrounding the AI venture linked to the creator of ChatGPT and the inclusion of Apple veterans Tan and Ive has triggered speculation about the prospective challenge this hypothetical AI device might pose to the iPhone’s dominance in the consumer tech domain.
Altman has previously thrown support behind another AI device crafted by a team of former Apple employees. Notably, he is a notable investor in Humane, a startup that recently introduced its “AI pin” — a screenless wearable equipped with a voice assistant and laser projector powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 AI model.
Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, cofounders of Humane and creators of the $699 wearable brooch, have communicated their vision of replacing smartphones and curbing excessive screen time through their innovation. However, the AI pin has faced criticism for providing inaccurate responses and exhibiting clumsiness in certain demonstrations. Humane seemingly found itself taken aback by Altman’s competing venture alongside Ive.
Requests for comment directed at OpenAI by Business Insider outside of regular working hours did not receive an immediate response.