Legendary designer Jonathan Ive, who left his full-time role at Apple five years ago, is working on a new startup with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman.
The collaboration was first reported last year, and Ive confirmed it in a New York Times profile about his post-Apple activities.
If the startup has a name, Ive hasn't revealed it, but it was apparently hatched during a dinner with Altman last year, where the two discussed the possibilities of generative AI. Ive's company, LoveFrom, is leading the design, and its profile states its goal is to create “products that use AI to create computing experiences that are less socially disruptive than the iPhone.”
That could position Ive and Altman to succeed in a space where other AI device companies, like Humane, have struggled.
Marc Newson, an industrial designer who is working with Ive, said product details and a launch date have yet to be determined. Despite the vagueness, the startup is raising funding, with backers from Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective and Ive himself. The company is reportedly aiming to raise $1 billion by the end of the year.