He took Apple’s hardware design to new heights – could Jony Ive do the same for the burgeoning AI-focused hardware market?
That’s the hope for Ive’s next project, which will see the veteran designer partner with ChatGPT developer OpenAI for a new hardware device that takes advantage of the company’s fast-growing artificial intelligence products.
The partnership, which was rumoured earlier this year, has now been confirmed in a New York Times Profile which explores Ive’s independence after Apple, including conversations with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
According to the article, the pair have agreed to partner to create a new “AI device company” for a product “that uses AI to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.” It’s not that Apple is averse to AI integrations: the latest iOS 18 The version is scheduled to receive an update that will include integrated access to ChatGPT and OpenAI technology.
But iPhones, including the new one iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Prowill continue to use AI as a feature rather than a product in itself, and that will be the differentiating factor for this new device. OpenAI will be at its core. The form of industrial design it will take “is yet to be determined,” but Ive’s team has an exemplary pedigree: some of its new members worked alongside him on iPhone designs over the years.
Is a device revolution coming?
Ive’s project won’t be the first to attempt to create a bespoke, purpose-built AI hardware design, but its early forays into the market have been mixed at best.
The Rabbit R1 launched earlier this year and charmed with its adorable, phone-like design. But its actual utility, replacing traditional apps with generative AI responses, proved clunky. Similarly, the Humane AI pin launched with great anticipation but soon fell short of the limitations presented by its handheld form factor.
But if anyone can create an AI device that actually works, it’s Ive. His meticulous attention to detail has had an enormous influence on the world of technology, revolutionizing the design of computing devices. If you’ve ever questioned his approach, read this sidebar from the article: He just spent five years working on a book about AI. History of buttons.
Jony Ive says he’s been working on a book about buttons for 5 years pic.twitter.com/PqWhQ8KYLRSeptember 23, 2024
More from iMore
