- By Prateek Levi
- Thu, 22 May 2025 01:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
OpenAI: Jony Ive, the legendary designer behind some of Apple’s most iconic products, is teaming up with OpenAI to help build consumer-friendly tools that make artificial intelligence easier to use.
In a video announcement shared Wednesday, Ive—whose design legacy includes the iPhone—appeared alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to reveal their new partnership. The duo emphasised that current devices like smartphones and laptops aren’t quite cutting it when it comes to interacting with AI tools like ChatGPT.
Sam & Jony introduce io pic.twitter.com/ej5K59kJq3
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 21, 2025
“I am absolutely certain that we are on the brink of a new generation of technology,” Ive said in the video.
The collaboration includes OpenAI acquiring IO, Ive’s design firm, in a move that marks a significant step toward positioning OpenAI as a consumer-facing brand. While the company is already a powerhouse in AI infrastructure, it now appears to be gearing up to compete more directly with established tech titans such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple—where I've spent three decades and helped shape products in close collaboration with Steve Jobs. Ive departed Apple in 2019 after a 30-year run with the company.
OpenAI has yet to specify what kind of products Ives will be working on, but the video offers a strong clue. Altman suggested that new hardware is on the table. 3 .“If I wanted to ask ChatGPT something right now,” he said while seated with Ive in a San Francisco restaurant, “I would get out my laptop. … I think this technology deserves something much better.”
And OpenAI isn’t alone in trying to make AI more accessible. Tech giants are racing to bring AI to the masses through hardware and software. Google, for instance, just showed off AI-powered smart glasses capable of translating conversations in real-time, projecting directions onto the physical world, and recognising visual objects. Apple is also working to bring AI to the iPhone and its other products, while Meta is doubling down on its own set of AI tools.
Despite the broader competition, OpenAI has quickly become a major player in the space. The company recently revealed that ChatGPT now has 400 million weekly users.
According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI’s deal to acquire IO is valued at $6.5 billion in OpenAI stock. An OpenAI spokesperson declined to comment on the report. (The Washington Post has a content-sharing agreement with OpenAI.)
While Ive and Altman didn’t go into details about the product they’re working on, both seemed visibly excited in the video.
“The first one I’ve been working on has just completely captured my imagination,” Ive said. Altman followed up with a bold statement of his own: “I think it is the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”
