Apple Designer, Jony Ive Joins OpenAI in $6.5 Billion Deal

Renowned Apple designer Sir Jony Ive has partnered with OpenAI in a groundbreaking $6.5 billion deal. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is acquiring Ive’s startup, io, to develop AI-powered hardware. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, expressed his excitement, stating, “I think we have the opportunity here to kind of completely re-imagine what it means to use a computer”.

Reimagining Computers with AI

The partnership aims to create a new generation of AI-powered computers, leveraging Ive’s design expertise and OpenAI’s AI technology. According to Altman, “We could not be more excited.” Ive, known for designing iconic Apple products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI. Ive believes the world is on the “brink of a new generation of technology”.

A New Family of Devices

The duo has already made significant progress, with Ive revealing, “The first one we’ve been working on I think has just completely captured our imagination.” Altman has tried out a prototype of the new device and thinks it’s “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen”. Their collaboration is expected to revolutionize human-machine interaction.

Background and Implications

Ive left Apple in 2019 after 27 years, and Apple CEO Tim Cook described him as “a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated”. Following the news, Apple shares fell over 2%. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, noted that it would be “foolish to bet against Jony Ive, given his remarkable track record of delivering products that disrupt a market”.

Key Highlights

• Deal Value: $6.5 billion
• Partnership: OpenAI acquires io, founded by Jony Ive
• Objective: Develop AI-powered hardware and reimagine computers
• Design Responsibility: Jony Ive assumes deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI
• Potential Impact: Revolutionize human-machine interaction and disrupt the tech market