SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – OpenAI is in discussions to bring on Jony Ive, the visionary designer known for the Apple iPhone, to spearhead a groundbreaking hardware initiative for an artificial intelligence firm developing ChatGPT.
OpenAI has announced the acquisition of a transaction valued at approximately $6.5 billion for IO Products, a company co-founded by Ive that specializes in product and engineering.
Ive gained recognition for his remarkable design philosophy that defined a cultural era during his 27-year tenure at Apple, which ended in 2019. He played a pivotal role in the company’s revival in 1997 under co-founder Steve Jobs.
Currently, OpenAI is leading the way in this new venture with the AI pioneer, marking a significant technological shift reminiscent of the iPhone era.
While the company has not disclosed specific details about its offerings, it envisions a “physical AI embodiment,” aiming to innovate generative AI chatbot technologies, similar to AI-driven glasses being developed by Google and Meta, according to Gartner Analyst Chirag Dekate.
OpenAI has reported that CEO Sam Altman has been collaborating “quietly” with Ive and his design firm LoveFrom since 2023.
In a joint statement released on OpenAI’s website on Wednesday, Ive and Altman expressed that “it has become clear that their aspirations to engineer, create, and manufacture new product families necessitate the establishment of a completely new company.”
State records indicate that Ive co-founded IO in Delaware in September 2023, with its registration in California occurring in April 2024. OpenAI revealed it already holds a 23% stake in IO from a prior agreement reached last year, and will acquire it for $5 billion in shares.
According to OpenAI, Ive will not become a direct employee but will maintain an independent role at LoveFrom, while holding “significant design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and IO.” Both OpenAI and LoveFrom are located in San Francisco.
The head of OpenAI’s new IO division initially led robotics research in the company’s formative days and recently served as Vice President of the “New Product Exploration” team, focusing on hardware and early-stage research in robotics.
Altman, 40, looks forward to his ongoing collaboration with the 58-year-old designer, blending their expertise and visions.
When launching his own firm, Ive drew inspiration from Jobs’ belief that one of the highest forms of praise for humanity is to “create something with care and love.”
He also chose to establish LoveFrom in a historic part of San Francisco, close to the bars and cafés frequented by icons of the Beat Generation, including Jack Kerouac, author of “On the Road,” and Allen Ginsberg, author of “Howl”.
OpenAI’s headquarters is situated approximately 2 miles away. Founded nearly a decade ago as a non-profit research organization dedicated to safely advancing AI in a way that benefits humanity, it continues to be steered by a non-profit board, even as Altman increasingly drives the commercialization of ChatGPT and other innovations. It remains unclear when Altman’s partnership with Ive commenced—before or after Altman’s brief hiatus which led to the formation of a new firm in San Francisco in November 2023, just months after IO’s inception in Delaware.
Earlier this month, Altman declared that OpenAI has abandoned its plans to eliminate its non-profit governance structure, while pursuing modifications to facilitate business growth and opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions.
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O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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Source: apnews.com