Jony Ive and OpenAI Are Building the Future of AI Hardware

Design Meets Intelligence

Apple’s legendary former design chief, Jony Ive, is teaming up with OpenAI to craft innovative consumer devices infused with generative AI. The partnership aims to bring fresh thinking to human-computer interaction by combining Ive’s renowned industrial design expertise with OpenAI’s advanced language models. Although specifics about the devices remain undisclosed, sources say the goal is to create hardware that is intuitive, personal, and fundamentally rethinks how users engage with AI. The collaboration could mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI from a software service into a tangible, everyday experience.

A Star-Studded Backing

The collaboration is reportedly being funded by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who is investing up to $1 billion in the effort. The team will operate under a new venture, integrating OpenAI’s technical leadership with LoveFrom, Ive’s creative firm. The funding and strategic backing signal that this is not just a design experiment but a serious commercial endeavor. With AI increasingly permeating daily life, the combination of cutting-edge technology and iconic hardware design could produce a new class of consumer products—potentially rivals to smartphones or even entirely new product categories.