Jony Ive, the former chief design officer of Apple, and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, are reportedly in talks about a potential collaboration aimed at creating an undisclosed artificial intelligence hardware device.
Details about the device's nature and purpose are currently unknown. A report by The Information suggests that Ive and Altman, who share a friendship, have been engaging in discussions about what a novel hardware product suited for the era of artificial intelligence might entail. It remains uncertain whether this device will be developed by OpenAI, an external manufacturer, or if the collaboration will ultimately lead to its creation.
This wouldn't be the first instance of Altman collaborating with a former Apple designer on hardware projects. For instance, Thomas Meyerhoffer, who was initially hired by Ive at Apple and worked alongside him on projects like the iMac, designed the Orb, a spherical retina-scanning device, for Altman's Worldcoin cryptocurrency initiative. The Orb was developed by Tools for Humanity, a company co-founded by Altman in 2019, where he also serves as the chairman.
Also Read OpenAI's Sam Altman launches Worldcoin crypto project, know why it wants your iris scan
Also Read: JioFiber, AirFiber prepaid recharge plans under the price of Rs 1,000
Altman is further involved as a major investor in Humane, a startup founded by former Apple employees. Humane is actively working on a wearable AI device intended to replace traditional smartphones, and they are collaborating with OpenAI to incorporate the AI company's technology into their device.
Reports also indicate that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is part of these discussions alongside Altman and Ive. Son, who was once one of the world's wealthiest individuals, has invested more than $140 billion in AI-related startups in recent years and expressed his intent to transform SoftBank into a leading investment firm in the AI revolution. However, it remains unclear whether Son will continue to be involved in the plans being formulated by Ive and Altman.
Also Read Apple releases macOS Sonoma with iPhone-like widgets; here’s how to download