OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, has quashed rumours about a collaboration with former Apple design chief, Jony Ive, to create an AI-powered device. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s tech conference, Altman stated that while there might be potential for a great project, he is unsure of what it could be at this point.
Sam Altman expressed no interest in competing with the smartphone market, praising its phenomenal capabilities. He described OpenAI’s exploration into consumer hardware as being in its very early stages, or “very nascent.”
Altman said, “I think there is something great to do but I don’t know what it is yet. I have no interest in trying to complete with the smartphone. It’s phenomenal at what it does.”
This statement comes amidst speculation about a potential ‘iPhone of AI’ being developed by OpenAI and Ive. However, based on Altman’s comments, it seems Apple can rest easy for now.
Jony Ive and Altman were reportedly in talks about a potential collaboration aimed at creating an undisclosed artificial intelligence hardware device. The Information highlighted that Ive and Altman share a friendship and have been taking part in discussions about a hardware product for the era of artificial intelligence.
The rumours were fanned further after Thomas Meyerhoffer worked with Altman in designing the Orb. Prior to OpenAI, he was hired by Ive at Apple and worked alongside him on projects like the iMac. The Orb is a spherical retina-scanning device built 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.
So far, OpenAI hasn’t introduced any hardware product of its own which can utilise its AI prowess. Google, on the other hand, is building AI-focused chipsets and using them in their flagship smartphones. However, OpenAI is increasing the functionality of the ChatGPT platform by allowing it 'hear, speak and see'. The app can accept images as input and analyse it to provide custom replies. On the other hand, the app can also provide replies through audio for easy access. The company continues to rely on their premium membership ChatGPT Plus for revenue.
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