Apple’s former Chief Designer confirms mobile project with OpenAI — leveraging the ChatGPT maker’s AI smarts to “create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone”

Apple's former Chief Designer confirms mobile project with OpenAI — leveraging the ChatGPT maker's AI smarts to "create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone"

What you need to know

  • Former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive recently disclosed that he’s working closely with OpenAI to develop a flagship device that could potentially take on Apple and Samsung in the mobile landscape. 
  • Rumors indicate the project is attracting investors, with one rumored to have already injected over $1 billion in funding.
  • The new device will reportedly “use AI to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.”

As a seasoned tech analyst with over two decades of experience observing the industry’s ebb and flow, I must say that the latest development between Jony Ive and OpenAI has piqued my curiosity more than anything else in recent memory. The potential for disruption in the mobile landscape is palpable, and it’s not every day that we see a former Apple executive teaming up with an AI powerhouse like OpenAI.


Since the debut of ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI has been making waves for various reasons, such as concerns about AI replacing human jobs and potentially leading to humanity’s demise, rapid spending to fuel its technological progress, which has put the AI company near the edge of financial collapse, and the internal drama involving Sam Altman’s dismissal and reinstatement as CEO by the board.

It is true that significant technology companies like Microsoft, Apple, and NVIDIA are jumping on the AI trend, using OpenAI’s debated achievements in this field as a model. These companies have all aimed to become the world’s most valuable with over $3 trillion in market capitalization. Financial analysts and experts believe that their success is due to early investment and integration of AI into their technology infrastructure. This could be the reason behind their decision to invest in OpenAI’s recent funding round, which helped prevent bankruptcy and boosted its market cap to over $150 billion.

It’s possible that in the near future, OpenAI might explore the hardware sector, thanks to the involvement of Apple’s ex-Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive. Previous speculation suggested that discussions took place between Ive and OpenAI about creating an “artificial intelligence iPhone” designed for a more user-friendly and intuitive interaction with AI through the device.

As a researcher involved in some fascinating projects, I can’t always share all the details, but I am excited to confirm that I am collaborating with OpenAI on a groundbreaking development. This project could potentially disrupt the mobile market, posing a significant challenge for industry giants like Apple and Samsung (as reported by Tom’s Hardware in an interview).

Although Jony Ive didn’t reveal much about the ongoing project, it’s clear that it holds promise for all of us in the near future. Moreover, it’s been made known that prominent investors like Softbank’s CEO, Masayoshi Son, are keen on investing substantial amounts into OpenAI’s development. Reports even suggest that he has invested a billion dollars towards its progress.

Investors have raised concerns about Microsoft splurging money on its AI efforts, citing difficulty in identifying a clear path to profitability in the new category. Interestingly, investors are seemingly betting on OpenAI to become the world’s dominant AI company worth trillions of dollars, touting its unique and dominant enterprise and consumer position.

OpenAI could be uniquely positioned to takeover the mobile landscape

Apple's former Chief Designer confirms mobile project with OpenAI — leveraging the ChatGPT maker's AI smarts to "create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone"

Sales of Apple’s iPhones have noticeably decreased, particularly in China. However, this trend isn’t fixed and is subject to change, particularly with the debut of the iPhone 16 series. It’s worth noting that Apple has stopped producing the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, leaving only the iPhone 16 models for consumers to access Apple’s latest technology.

Over the last several months, leading phone manufacturers have been equipping their top models with integrated AI functionalities and helpers, seemingly as a deliberate strategy to boost user satisfaction and attract more customers. Google offers Gemini, Apple has Apple Intelligence, while Microsoft’s discontinued Windows Phone would have included Copilot. Could OpenAI be developing the next generation of intelligent smartphones?

Only time will tell, but we know it’ll be “a product that uses AI to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.” This is a developing story, and we’ll keep tabs on the situation to keep you posted on any new information that surfaces. 

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2024-09-23 15:39