Sam Altman Working on AI Device with Jony Ive and Steve Jobs’ Widow

I started LoveFrom in 2019 about 30 years At Apple, he led the design efforts for the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

According to The Times, Ive and Altman met several times for dinner, where they discussed the potential of launching a new AI-centric computing device. Eventually, they agreed to build it together.

Altman’s new venture is raising money privately and has received funding from both Ive and Emerson CollectiveAn impact investment and philanthropy firm founded by Powell Jobs, the startup is expected to raise up to $1 billion in venture funding by the end of 2024, according to The Times.

Marc Newson, who founded LoveFrom with Ive, told The Times that they were still working on what the product would be like and a release date.

Altman in October 2023 He expressed his interest in AI devices Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event.

“I’m intrigued by this, and I think it’s possible,” Altman told The Journal’s technology columnist Joanna Stern at the event.

“I think every new technology that’s big enough enables a new computing platform. But there are so many ideas, but they’re all very much in their infancy.”

Altman told Stern in October 2023 that he did not think AI devices would overtake smartphones.

“Smartphones are great. I have no interest in trying to compete with a smartphone. It’s phenomenal at what it does,” Altman said.

“But I think it’s worth talking about or thinking about what we can do now, because we didn’t have computers that could think before, or computers that could understand whatever you want to call it. And if the answer is nothing, that’s a bit disappointing.”

Of course, Altman and Ive aren’t the only ones who see potential in an AI-centric device.

Former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno have founded their own AI startup. Humanitarian They launched their first product in 2019 Artificial Intelligence Pin In November. However, pin bad comments regarding the ability to be launched to market.

Bloomberg reported in May that Humane was looking for a buyer, The asking price is between $750 million and $1 billionThe company was valued at $850 million last year, according to The Information.

The company reported last month that it had returned more Ai Pin purchases between May and August of this year, citing internal sales data obtained by The Verge. Humane spokesperson Zoz Cuccias told The Verge that the company would not comment on financial data and would refer the matter to its legal counsel.

Representatives for OpenAI’s Altman and Emerson Collective’s Powell Jobs did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment sent outside normal business hours.