Apple Design Legend Jony Ive Joins OpenAI
The legendary designer behind Apple's iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined OpenAI to create devices tailored for using generative artificial intelligence, according to a video posted Wednesday by the ChatGPT maker.
Ive and his team will take over design at OpenAI as part of an acquisition of his startup named "IO" valued at $6.5 billion.
Sharing no details, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said in the video that a prototype Ive shared with him "is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen."
The San Francisco-based AI company finished the clip with a message that it looks forward to sharing fruits of the device collaboration next year.
British-born Ive was an Apple employee from 1992 to 2019, during which time he oversaw the development of the brand's now legendary products, from the iMac and AirPods to the iPod, iPhone and Apple Watch.
Working closely with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, his designs revitalized Apple, making it the company with the world's third-largest market capitalization and a global standard for product design.
Altman said a transformational new technology such as AI deserves a revolutionary new way to interact with it.
Comparing AI to "magic intelligence," Altman said the technology behind ChatGPT "deserves something much better" than having to type questions into a laptop.
Ive began collaborating with Altman two years ago and it "became clear that our ambitions to develop, engineer and manufacture a new family of products demanded an entirely new company," the pair said in a joint post.
"The products that we're using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology are decades old," Ive said.
"So it's just common sense to at least think, surely there's something beyond these legacy products."
OpenAI putting its hot chatbot into a new kind of gadget could be a threat to Apple, which has struggled with its AI strategy, particularly when it comes to making its Siri digital assistant smarter.
Apple shares were down nearly three percent in after-market trades on Wednesday.
Almost a year after announcing the integration of a host of generative AI functionalities into its new iPhone 16, Apple has been slow to implement them.
The Cupertino, California-based group has also postponed the release of an updated version of its Siri voice assistant until next year, at best.
The race to put generative AI into devices also involves Amazon, which is adding the technology to its Alexa voice assistant, with a rollout of that service currently underway.
Dubbed Alexa+ and boosted with AI, Amazon's adoption of the technology is intended primarily for connected devices in the home, such as smart speakers or televisions.
Hyped startup Humane in 2024 launched its AI Pin, a square gadget to be worn like a brooch that was theoretically capable of answering spoken questions, taking photos, and making phone calls.
But it quickly failed to catch on due to its high price and poor performance, and was subsequently acquired at a low price by HP.
IDC advertising and marketing technology research director Roger Beharry Lall said that it remains to be seen if a gadget dedicated to using AI can dethrone smartphones that still rule modern lifestyles.
"Right now, the phone is the medium through which you can access these technologies," Beharry Lall said.
"If anyone can figure out what the next-generation interface is going to look like, it's probably Mr. Ive."
OpenAI has become one of the most successful companies in Silicon Valley, propelled to prominence in 2022 with the release of ChatGPT, its generative AI chatbot.
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DW
11 hours ago
- DW
How Munich became Europe's tech startup capital – DW – 06/04/2025
Founders flock to Munich, Germany, to access capital, expertise, and networks that can help turn ideas into thriving businesses. It's like navigating a labyrinth — a journey hundreds of young entrepreneurs across Europe embark on each year in search of opportunity, innovation, funding, and success. They're also looking for the country and city that offers the ideal conditions to launch a business. For an increasing number, that journey leads to Isar Valley, named after the river that runs through Munich, and which provided the informal nickname for the Bavarian capital's technology and artificial intelligence (AI) scene, inspired by the Silicon Valley technology hub in California. Munich's Technical University and its entrepreneurship center are essential for startup founders Image: UnternehmerTUM Munich ranks 17th globally in the latest Global Tech Ecosystem Index compiled by Netherlands-based data provider Dealroom. When measured by high-performance, innovation-driven ecosystems with strong per-capita output, Munich rises to 5th place — just behind US tech hubs San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, New York, and Cambridge. From hackathon enthusiast to startup founder Greek entrepreneurs Nikos Tsiamitros and Georgios Pipelidis also chose to launch their startup in Munich, even though Tsiamitros says there wasn't a "personal reason" to move to the capital of the German southern state of Bavaria. "I didn't know anyone here and had never even visited the city," he told DW, but added that he was well aware of the "excellent reputation" of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Nikos Tsiamitros (left) and Georgios Pipelidis were drawn to Munich because of its excellent startup environment Image: Georgios Pipelidis Tsiamitros arrived from Athens to pursue his master's degree in Munich, while Pipelidis came to TUM via Austria to complete his PhD. "That's where we started working together on navigation software for public transportation," Pipelidis told DW. They joined a hackathon — an event where programmers team up for several days or weeks to develop software, often around the clock — and they won the competition. "From that moment on, we started to believe that our navigation and localization algorithm could become a real startup," said Tsiamitros. Then, in March 2019, they launched their first startup business called Ariadne — derived from the Cretan princess in Greek mythology who gave Theseus a thread to find his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. A fitting metaphor for their software, Pipelidis noted with a grin. UnternehmerTUM provides support with substance But having a strong algorithm is one thing. Launching a startup, writing a business plan, and securing capital is another. That's where Munich's startup ecosystem offers a crucial resource — the UnternehmerTUM entrepreneurship center based at TUM. 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Eirini Psallida is one of many successful startup founders who have emerged from the Isar Valley tech hub Image: Eirini Psallida KEWAZO's core product is a battery-powered, remote-controlled robotic lifting system called LIFTBOT. This robot facilitates the transport and assembly of scaffolding and other construction materials. "All industries seemed fully automated — except construction," Eirini told DW, explaining the idea behind the company. Psallida named the startup after the Greek word kataskevazo, meaning "to produce." And like Ariadne, this startup was born out of a hackathon at UnternehmerTUM. Today, the company's robotic lift system is in daily use at major industrial and construction sites — from the chemical park of BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany, to oil refineries in the US. KEWAZO's liftbots are seen on many construction sites Image: Flint Hills Resources "I can't imagine how we would have done it without UnternehmerTUM," Psallida told DW, as the incubator gave them access to hardware, software, legal and business advice. "And we got help securing public funding without giving up any equity," she added. One in four German unicorns founded by foreigners The KEWAZO team includes six founders from four different countries, reflecting the diverse nature of Germany's startup landscape. According to the latest Migrant Founders Monitor compiled by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Germany's Startup Association, a significant number of founders in the country have a migration background. "Fourteen percent of startup founders were born abroad," said Vanusch Walk, senior researcher at the Startup Association and lead author of the report. 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"They wanted a native speaker as the public face of the company," he recalled. "I understand that customers prefer dealing with someone who speaks fluent German — that's why all our salespeople are native speakers. But replacing me as CEO? That was too much," he said. In the end, Georgios Pipelidis and Nikos Tsiamitros secured support from a Greek VC firm. And despite the setbacks, their enthusiasm for Munich hasn't wavered. At the end of their own Ariadne thread still lies the Bavarian capital. This article was originally written in German.
Local Germany
a day ago
- Local Germany
Passenger compensation for flight delays set to decrease in Europe
Airline passengers in the EU enjoy the world's most generous system of compensation if their flight is delayed or cancelled. However these rights seem set to decrease after the European Council agreed to an overhaul of compensation rules, following intense lobbying from the airline industry. The agreement to extend delay times and cut compensation levels was made at a European Council summit, despite opposition from Germany and Spain. Controversially, the Council bypassed discussions with the European Parliament and made its decision legally binding using a process that has not been deployed in more than a decade. Advertisement However the European Parliament can still make changes to the new rules - it has four months to respond with a proposal that must be backed by a majority of 361 MEPs. So what changes? The ruling doesn't scrap all the customer protections, but it changes the rules on compensation payments - changing both the payment amounts and the delay time after which compensation rules kick in. Under current EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation rules, passengers can claim between €250 and €600 in compensation if a flight is delayed by at least three hours, if the delay is the fault of the airline. Under the agreed changes, compensation will only be due after a four-hour delay for flights of less than 3,500 kilometres. For longer flights, airlines would be obliged to pay compensation if flights land at least six hours late, compared to the current three-hour standard. Under the new rules, €300 compensation will apply for delays of more than four hours – while €500 will be payable for delays of more than six hours involving flights of more than 3,500km. In exchange for the higher delay thresholds, airlines will have to streamline the complex and obfuscatory compensation process - in which many airlines make it very complicated to claim financial compensation but very easy to claim airline vouchers. And what doesn't change? Other compensation rules remain unchanged, especially around the 'extraordinary circumstances' definition which covers whether airlines have to provide any compensation at all. Compensation for delays or cancellations is not paid if the problem is due to 'extraordinary circumstances' – the exact definition of this in the legislation is vague but it generally applies to situations like extreme weather, political instability, security risks or problems with air traffic control. Advertisement Strikes are usually not considered to be extraordinary circumstances, neither are routine mechanical problems or staff shortages. The rules cover airlines that are registered in the EU – such as the Ireland-based Ryanair – or flights taking off from an EU or Schengen zone country. Since Brexit the rules no longer apply to the UK, but the British government has mostly "copied and pasted" it into UK legislation. READ ALSO Fears EU plans to 'water down' air passengers' rights in review Also unchanged are rules on flight cancellations and airlines responsibility to provide food, accommodation and alternative travel for passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled. In truth this is not well policed - passengers are often simply told to make their own arrangements for accommodation and alternative travel and submit compensation claims to the airline later. Airlines do, however, routinely provide refreshments, usually in the form of food vouchers to passengers whose flights are delayed. Why the change? In a word - lobbying. Airlines had argued that the compensation payments were too high, especially for budget airlines where the compensation may be higher than the cost of the ticket. Airlines also said that they were unable to provide a replacement aircraft and crew within three hours in many European locations, and that this can lead to additional flights being cancelled because high compensation payments have already been incurred. READ ALSO What are your rights in Europe if your flight is delayed or cancelled? When does this happen? The change is not immediate, first the European Parliament has four months to stage any objections and if no objection is received, then an introduction date will be set. So we can say for sure that this summer holiday period will still be covered by the old rules.
DW
a day ago
- DW
Japan's ispace fails second lunar landing mission – DW – 06/06/2025
Japanese startup failed to land its unmanned Resilience craft on the moon. The mission was aborted as it was likely the craft had crashed after losing contact. Japan'sprivate moon mission was aborted on Friday after it was presumed that the unmanned Resilience spacecraft had crashed. Tokyo-based startup ispace had launched the mission in hopes of becoming the first private company outside the United States to achieve a controlled lunar landing. Lunar lander crashed into moon The Resilience spacecraft had begun its final descent, successfully firing its main engine "as planned to begin deceleration," ispace said. Mission control reported that the craft's position was "nearly vertical," but contact was then lost. ispace stated that the spacecraft had likely failed to decelerate sufficiently to reach the speed required for a soft lunar landing. "Based on the currently available data... it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing. It is unlikely that communication with the lander will be restored, so it has been decided to conclude the mission," ispace said in a statement. Before signing off, the livestream announcers said, "never quit the lunar quest." A new time: Clocks on the moon To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Less than two minutes before the scheduled landing, the once-celebratory gathering of 500 ispace employees, shareholders, sponsors, and government officials fell into stunned silence as contact with the spacecraft was lost. ispace had also organized a public viewing event. Image: Manami Yamada/REUTERS "Expectations for ispace will not waver," Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba posted on X. Second failed attempt Two years ago, another lunar missionby the company had also ended in a crash. CEO Takeshi Hakamada told reporters he took the second failed attempt "seriously" and intended to use the outcome to inform future missions. He said they had a "strong will to move on, although we have to carefully analyze what happened." Resilience carried a four-wheeled rover built by ispace's Luxembourg subsidiary, along with five external payloads valued at a total of $16 million. The planned landing site was Mare Frigoris, a plain about 900 km (560 miles) from the moon's north pole. Lunar landings remain challenging due to the moon's rugged terrain. To date, only five nations have successfully achieved soft lunar landings: Russia, US, China, India and Japan. Private companies have recently entered the race to the moon, and ispace would have been the third such company to achieve it. The mission wanted to collect two lunar soil samples and sell them to NASA for $5,000 (€4373). In January, Resilience shared a SpaceX rocket launch with Firefly's Blue Ghost lander, which touched down successfully in March. A moon landing attempt by US-based company Intuitive Machines failed in March this year. IDEFIX rover and JAXA's mission to the moons of Mars To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Louis Oelofse
