- Jony Ive rejoined the computer sector through a $6.4 billion agreement to combine his emerging hardware company, named io, with OpenAI.
- I’ve agreed to counsel OpenAI on the development of hardware items, bringing aboard several members from my previous team at Apple.
- This declaration highlights the increasing belief in Silicon Valley that sophisticated AI-powered virtual helpers might revolutionize the tech industry, potentially replacing the laptops and smartphones produced by Apple today.
Before
Jony Ive
In 2019, after leaving Apple, no significant release of Apple hardware would be finalized without featuring a clip showcasing the device’s aesthetics, accompanied by the soothing voice of Ive with his distinct English intonation.
He emerged as a benchmark in Silicon Valley for exceptional hardware due to his involvement in developing the
iPhone
and Apple Watch.
On Wednesday, I came back into the computer sector with a fresh video, however, it didn’t involve unveiling a new Apple item. Rather, Ive announced
a $6.4 billion deal
This merger will combine his emerging hardware company, named io, with OpenAI. Ive will lead the design for a new line of AI hardware products.
The declaration highlights the increasing sentiment in Silicon Valley that intelligent
artificial intelligence
assistants could upend the gadget world, displacing the laptops and smartphones that Apple currently builds with new products that look and function totally differently.
“Tech shifts like the internet, the smartphone, and AI only happen once in a generation,” longtime Apple analyst
Gene Munster
posted on X on Wednesday. “OpenAI is catalyzing this shift into something tangible.”
Even Apple executives have said that AI hardware could threaten its iPhone business.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s chief of services, said in court earlier this month that he believes AI devices could replace the iPhone within 10 years, “crazy as that sounds,” he said.
“AI is a new technology shift, and it’s creating new opportunities for new entrants,” Cue
said
.
Meanwhile, Apple’s big improvement to its built-in assistant, Siri, was
delayed
earlier this year.
A key aspect of Apple Intelligence, which encompasses the firm’s collection of artificial intelligence functionalities, involved incorporating technology from OpenAI to manage inquiries related to ChatGPT.
Apple Intelligence
It couldn’t. Additionally, Siri remains more of a question-and-answer system rather than being a smooth conversationalist, unlike ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini.
Apple’s upcoming chance to display its recent developments will be on June 9 at its yearly WWDC conference in Cupertino, California. This is when Apple initially introduced Siri last year, and where it usually unveils its newest software updates for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
OpenAI’s announcement provided limited information regarding the types of products their new hardware team will develop. The firm mentioned they plan to reveal more about their progress sometime next year.
The next big thing
The news from Wednesday ought to act as a wakeup for Apple, considering its ex-leader is now collaborating with the swiftly ascending firm in Silicon Valley. They aim to develop offerings that might one day challenge Apple’s dominance in the hardware sector.
As I mentioned in the launch video: “I have no doubt that we are truly at the cusp of a new era in technology which has the potential to help us become our best selves.”
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Ive to “develop a next-generation line of AI-driven computers.”
Although he’ll keep leading his design company, named LoveFrom, OpenAI is now gaining access to full-time professionals who previously worked at Apple.
Scott Cannon, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey, who are all seasoned designers at Apple and also founders of io, are now part of the team at OpenAI.
Although there hasn’t been an AI-driven consumer device that has taken off just yet, numerous start-ups have attempted to develop gadgets that leverage artificial intelligence to reduce their size and streamline the user experience.
A group of former Apple employees established Humane, a company that developed a compact device resembling a pin equipped with a projector capable of making calls and responding to queries. However, their $700 offering failed to gain traction, leading to the company being acquired by HP.
Early buyers have the option to purchase the Rabbit R1, a compact square device priced at $199 that utilizes an OpenAI model for answering queries.
Reviews
The condition of the gadgets was poor. I informed Bloomberg on Wednesday that they were ”
bad products
.”
Apple’s major competitors with huge market capitalizations are also starting to leverage AI-powered assistants as a means to distinguish their offerings from one another.
Meta’s Ray-Ban intelligent eyewear has been a delightful unexpected success in the market, having sold more than 2 million units.
sold
, and the Facebook parent is
running ads
in which the glasses answer questions conversationally using the company’s Llama AI models in addition to capturing video with the glasses’ built-in cameras.
On Tuesday, Google, which competes with Apple through its Android mobile operating system, announced a slew of new AI models and features, including a full video generator, and
new smartglasses
prototypes running software called Android XR that will be made by companies such as Warby Parker.
Google also mentioned that its Gemini assistant might enter into ”
agent mode
to accomplish tasks—much like Apple’s postponed Siri enhancement. Although Google rolls out many of its Gemini capabilities via standalone applications for iPhones, users aren’t able to set it as their primary assistant instead of Siri.
Apple and OpenAI representatives did not reply to requests for their comments.
