Jony Ive has already shown his OpenAI device to Laurene Powell Jobs and she is impressed
Laurene Powell Jobs has shared her quick review of the super-mysterious AI device that Jony Ive and Sam Altman are cooking. As an investor in both Ive's design firm LoveFrom and his AI hardware startup, io, which was recently bought by OpenAI for USD $6.5 billion, Powell Jobs got a first look into their development process. While not explicitly confirmed, she is believed to have had access to the prototyping stage, suggesting she might have seen the product in some form. Her takeaway: it is a 'wondrous thing to behold.'advertisementBoth Jony Ive and Sam Altman – especially Ive – have hyped up the product as something which is both larger than life and vastly different from current tech involving screens and invariably, distractions. And so, anticipation is growing since the duo hasn't shown anything yet, only going on to tease that they are working on a 'family' of devices, at least some of which are reported to be companion-types that users might take and use alongside their existing smartphones. Ive has said that the project has 'reignited his optimism about technology' and that 'humanity deserves better.'In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Powell Jobs described the ideation and prototyping process for the OpenAI device as a 'wondrous thing to behold,' seemingly suggesting it has left a positive first impression on the American billionaire businesswoman-philanthropist and the widow of Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple.advertisement
Some reports suggest the form factor might resemble an iPod Shuffle, something you could wear around the neck. Cameras and microphones onboard the device would make it contextually aware of its surroundings.It was a joint interview where Ive was also present, though he did not share any information about the device. What he – and Powell Jobs – did share was how the technology that he built, like the iPhone, also had a dark side, referring to the unintended but harmful effects of smartphone addiction, especially amongst the youth. Both Ive and Powell Jobs hope this new device can offer a more positive and human-centric approach. The first device in the family of OpenAI devices is expected to be rolled out sometime by late 2026.
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