OpenAI Altman joins forces with former Apple chief designer to build next-generation 'AI hardware'

OpenAI prepares to lay out hardware?

On September 26, the media quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is working with former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, known as the "father of the iPhone," to prepare to launch new AI hardware products. According to people familiar with the matter, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has also been in private contact with the two, but it is unclear whether Son will continue to participate.

If OpenAI and Jonathan Ive successfully collaborate, this will be a history-worthy union between the world's most famous designer and the star CEO of a high-profile technology company

Ive is known as one of Apple’s core figures. He left Apple in 2019 and founded his own design studio LoveFrom.

Former design director of Apple Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

The report did not disclose the appearance and purpose of this "AI hardware". People familiar with the matter said that the cooperation between the two parties hopes to create a "new hardware for the artificial intelligence era." Therefore, the market speculates that this new The product will be a three-in-one combination of ARM chips, Apple hardware, and OpenAI software.

At the same time, OpenAI is negotiating with investors for a potential share sale, which may result in a valuation of US$80 billion to US$90 billion, three times the US$29 billion valuation in March this year, making OpenAI the highest valued One of the world’s largest startups, second only to Musk’s SpaceX and ByteDance.

Analytics believe that deploying AI hardware may allow OpenAI to gain a competitive advantage in the competition of "AI changes consumer lives" in the next few years. But history also shows that many large technology companies have tried to manufacture Popular consumer terminals, but all failed.

Is OpenAI planning in the hardware field?

Altman has invested in Humane, a consumer hardware startup, and is one of the company's largest investors.

It is reported that Altman co-led Humane’s US$30 million Series A financing in 2020, and subsequently participated in the US$100 million Series B financing in 2021 and the US$100 million Series C financing in 2023.

Humane was founded in 2018 by Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, both former Apple design and engineering team members. Among them, Chaudhri was responsible for designing the iPhone's home screen, while Bongiorno played an important leadership role in software development for the iPhone, iPad, and later the Mac

In July this year, Humane unveiled their first product, Humane Ai Pin, a wearable device with projection display and AI-driven functions.

It is understood that Ai Pin is a "smart and connected wearable device that can be attached to clothing and utilize various sensors for environmental and situational computing interaction." It is an independent device, and its software platform uses The power of AI delivers innovative personal computing experiences.

The essential purpose of the Ai Pin is to perform many of the functions of a smartphone, but with little or no need for gestures and voice commands. With just one tap, this sleek device (designed to clip to your breast pocket) can outline emails and calendar invitations, provide translation between languages, and handle phone calls

The above is the detailed content of OpenAI Altman joins forces with former Apple chief designer to build next-generation 'AI hardware'. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!