Technology Reporter
Getty ImagesSir Jony Ive, the hugely influential British designer responsible for the look of Apple’s most iconic and successful products, is joining OpenAI.
Boss Sam Altman said he was “thrilled” to be partnering with the man he called the “greatest designer in the world”.
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is buying Sir Jony’s startup, io, in a $6.5bn (£4.7bn) deal.
Mr Altman said he was excited to “try to create a new generation of AI-powered computers” together.
Sir Jony – who designed the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad – will “assume deep design and creative responsibilities” across the company, the two firms said in an announcement.
Re-imagining the computer
AI software has made rapid advances in recent years, spearheaded by ChatGPT.
But developing new hardware based around it has proved more of a challenge – with several recent attempts failing to interest consumers and attracting derision from reviewers.
Mr Altman though has spoken of his confidence that this partnership can succeed where others have failed.
“I think we have the opportunity here to kind of completely re-imagine what it means to use a computer,” he said in a video that accompanied the announcement.
Sir Jony said he believed the world was on the “brink of a new generation of technology”.
It may not be long until this new “family of devices” from the pair make an impact.
“The first one we’ve been working on I think has just completely captured our imagination,” said Sir Jony.
Mr Altman said he has already tried out a prototype of a new device designed by Sir Jony and his team, and he thinks it is “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen”.
‘A singular figure in the design world’
Getty ImagesSir Jony worked for Apple for 27 years, helping to revive the company with groundbreaking products including the iPhone and iPod.
He also designed the iMac in 1998 and the iPad in 2010.
When Sir Jony left the company in 2019, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook described him as “a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated”.
Shares in Apple fell more than 2% following the news of his partnership with OpenAI.
He left to found his own company, LoveFrom, which has worked with companies such as Airbnb and Moncler.
In the announcement about the merger, it said LoveFrom had been “quietly collaborating” with OpenAI for two years.
The idea for io, which Sir Jony founded last year with others, followed this partnership.
“It became clear that our ambitions to develop, engineer and manufacture a new family of products demanded an entirely new company,” said Sir Jony and Mr Altman.
OpenAI had a 23% stake in the start-up prior to Wednesday’s announcement, according to US media.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told BBC News that it would be “foolish to bet against Jony Ive, given his remarkable track record of delivering products that disrupt a market”.
“There is no question that OpenAI would love to have a direct relationship with its customers rather than delivering services via devices made by or powered by Apple, Google, or others,” he added.
Justin McGuirk, from the UK’s Design Museum, said Sir Jony “brings serious design credibility”.
He said: “If OpenAI want to take AI-based hardware to market, especially at a time when many are sceptical about the need for such things, it’s going to have to be incredibly good.
“Ive’s name will boost confidence and keep the hype machine rolling.”
Getty ImagesA few companies such as Humane AI and Rabbit have tried to build bespoke devices for the AI era.
However, Humane AI, founded by a former Apple executives, struggled with its AI Pin device, which faced criticism for battery life, heat issues, limited functionality and high costs.
OpenAI set off a wave of investment in AI in 2022 when it unveiled ChatGPT.
It has continued to push into new areas, such as shopping and search, in a challenge to established tech giants.
The foray into hardware comes as tech rivals such as Meta, Google and Apple have also been investing in products such as headsets and glasses, with new opportunities due to advances in AI.
Additional reporting by Natalie Sherman
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