Sam Altman & Jony Ive Seek $1 Billion for the “iPhone of AI”

According to the Financial Times, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive are reportedly in talks over developing a mysterious AI device, dubbed “the iPhone of AI,” and are seeking $1 billion to fund their idea.

While the potential collaboration between Altman and Ive surfaced in September 2023, it seems that the pair hasn’t reached any concrete agreement yet.

The tech masterminds are seeking $1 billion in funding from Softbank and a few other venture capital firms. Softbank’s CEO Masayoshi Son reportedly wants chip designer Arm, in which SoftBank owns 90% of the stakes, to be heavily involved in the project. Several outlets reported that Altman has also pitched the idea to other venture capital firms, including Thrive Capital and Emerson Collective.

Sources say that Altman and Ive held brainstorming sessions at Ive’s San Francisco studio on “what a new consumer product centered on OpenAI’s technology would look like.” The duo is considering a device that provides a more “natural and intuitive way” to engage with AI.

It’s important to note that Ive served as Apple’s Chief Design Officer for 27 years, designing Apple’s most famous devices including the iPhone, iPad, and iMac. He left the tech giant in 2019 to establish creative firm LoveFrom, although he continued to work for Apple as an outside consultant until 2022. Since his departure, Apple suffered a significant loss of talent, with over 20 former Apple employees joining Ive’s LoveFrom.

Interestingly, Ive seemed to regret some of the advanced developments he created during his time at Apple, stating the company has a “moral responsibility” to mitigate the risks of iPhone addiction among users, especially children.

Altman’s and Ive’s new mysterious gadget won’t necessarily be an AI version of the iPhone as the name “iPhone of artificial intelligence” suggests. Similar to what Ive did with the introduction of touchscreens at Apple long ago, this would be a reinvention of the smartphone,

Altman is considering developing a screenless device much like Humane AI’s pin. Founded by former Apple executives and backed by Altman himself, startup Humane created a screenless, wearable device that “frees” users from the distraction of their smartphone screens. This is something Ive might also view as a way to fight the addictiveness to the devices he created while working for Apple.