Jony Ive, who designed the iPhone (among other iconic Apple devices), is about to become the design lead for Openai, the giant Chatcpt AI that, for now, is not a single hardware device.
The Wall Street Journal On Wednesday, the imminent agreement reported, to see OpenAi to acquire the IVE IO company in an agreement valued at $ 6.5 billion. As part of that, Ive becomes the design leader for OpenAi, a role in which he has been spending slowly for some time.
IVE, who directed Apple’s design for decades, left the company in 2019 and, in recent months, has expressed some doubts about the possible negative impact of the previous products in which he has worked (which could include the iPhone).
“I think that when you are innovating, of course, there will be involuntary consequences, hopes that most be pleasant surprises. Certain products with which I have been very, very involved, I think there were some involuntary consequences that were far from being pleasant,” he said earlier this month, according to the Verge.
While the reports indicate that the IVE and Operai CEO, Sam Altman, are interested in building consumption hardware with AI, a smartphone is probably not in that menu.
On the other hand, most expect the duo to concentrate on wearables as headphones and smart watches that could be improved with, for example, cameras that could see their surroundings and use the on board to help him act and react to them.
A soft approach
Apparently, the IVE approach will also be to update the visual attraction of OpenAI software. So wait for an infusion of IVE-PSS in Chatgpt on mobile and desktop (where it has a particularly technical or friendly aspect for development), as well as in Sora and Dall-E interfaces.
In the last part of his career in Apple, IVE was more responsible for eliminating Skeuomorphism, making digital icons look like their homologists in the real world, on Apple platforms. Openai software does not suffer from the Skeuomorphic scourge, but some might argue that their general appearance is less elegant.
If you are curious if IVE design skills are still up to it, you simply take a look at the updated Airbnb, that Ive’s love firm Rediseñó. The form of love, by the way, will continue to be an independent company and will do so, according to The Wall Street Journal, Work with OpenAi as a client.
The news must put Apple a bit. The company, which was associated with Openai to include Chatgpt access in Apple Intelligence, has not only failed to deliver its own generative AI, but is staying behind the industry to offer a true experience of the combined hardware/software.
Hardware touches upon arrival
It will be fascinating to see what Altman and Ive cook, and we already have some clues.
Altman announced the agreement tweeting that he is “excited to try to create a new generation of computers with AI.” Taken literally, we could expect a PC of the team, but I think that Altman means “large written computers” in most smarter electronic products could be considered computer devices.
The Tweet was accompanied by a video with a conversation between Ive and Altman, in which Altman described the development of “a family of devices that would allow people to use AI to create all kinds of different things.”
Without revealing the product, Ive revealed that “the first one we have been working on has almost completely captured our imagination.” In addition, Altman added that he had given the device to take home. “I have been able to live with that and I think it is the best piece of technology that the world will have seen.”
No matter what they are building, it is worth remembering that the path to the success of the Hardware of AI is already full of the rotten corpses of failed companies such as human AI. Normal people have not shown great interest in using AI hardware that do not align with their current fashion options.
Excited to associate with Jony, in my opinion, the best designer in the world. Excited to try to create a new generation of computers with AI. pic.twitter.com/ipzbnrz1JQMay 21, 2025
That said, there may be an opportunity for Operai, Ive and Altman in the space of smart glasses. It is the device area connected to the AI that seems to be showing some real signs of life. That is mainly due to finishing efforts with the Ray Ban Meta Smart glasses, but also evidenced by the next influx of Android XR competitors of Google Samsung, Warby Parker and others. Some were announced this week on Google I/O 2025, and all will present Gemini in their nucleus.
Operai and Chatgpt can be leading in the generative space, but Google Gemini is very close. And if Android XR Partners can deliver with elegant style Gemini Gemini this year, he could quickly climb Gemini to the head. At least, this exerts pressure on Openai to deliver something.
Is Jony Ive the secret sauce that will make the glasses, headphones, smart watches and other consumer hardware possible and desirable? Maybe. Operai says we will see his work next year. You just don’t expect a chatgpt phone.
You may also like
