Jony Ive Joins OpenAI to Rethink the Future of AI Hardware

A Design Visionary Meets AI’s Rising Star

Jony Ive, the iconic former Apple design chief behind the iPhone, iPad, and other revolutionary products, is taking on a new challenge: helping OpenAI envision and create consumer-facing hardware. According to sources familiar with the matter, Ive will play a central role in shaping a next-generation AI device built from the ground up. He’s collaborating closely with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank, which is backing the project. The trio reportedly aims to create an entirely new category of hardware—a product that leverages AI to redefine everyday interaction, possibly blending functionality from smartphones, smart speakers, and wearables.

Ambitious Plans Funded by Big Tech Backing

This high-stakes initiative could eventually lead to a full-fledged hardware company, one that blends Ive’s elegant design principles with OpenAI’s powerful AI models. SoftBank may invest upwards of $1 billion into the effort, reflecting how seriously key players are taking this endeavor. While specifics on the device remain under wraps, initial discussions have centered on creating something intuitive and accessible—an AI-native device as revolutionary as the iPhone was in 2007. The collaboration places design, AI, and significant capital at the center of what could be a new era for consumer technology.