If you’ve ever wanted to wear your Apple Magic Mouse on your lapel, your chance might soon arrive.
A profile of Jony Ive in the New York Times revealed that LoveFrom, the design firm founded by Jony Ive after leaving Apple, is working with OpenAI to “create a new computing device because technology could do more for users than traditional software.” The project is funded by Jony Ive, Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and private investors.
The Times directly confirms this partnership. Last year, The Information reported that Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were in preliminary talks about a possible collaboration, and the Financial Times reported that SoftBank had invested more than $1 billion in the project.
The Times gave no details about the “secret” project, which aims to provide a “less socially disruptive computing experience than the iPhone.” In its report last year, the Financial Times said Ive was interested in a design that would not rely on a screen.
Whether it has a screen or not, the question remains whether a hardware device that’s solely dedicated to AI functions will find a wide audience. We’ve already seen two AI assistants debut and fail: the Rabbit r1, a “pocket companion,” and the wearable Humane AI Pin. While both products feature unique designs, neither managed to gain traction after their initial releases. Ive’s effort will almost certainly garner a lot of attention, but convincing people to buy a new gadget that likely requires its own subscription will be tough.
The problem with convincing consumers that they need a dedicated AI mobile device is that they already have one: their smartphone. While AI companies like OpenAI believe AI can be a specific standalone product, Apple’s approach is that AI is the basis for the functionality of a broader set of products across its existing iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI feature set for its operating systems, will roll out over the coming months, starting with the first major release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 in October.
Jony Ive joined Apple in 1992 and eventually became the company’s chief design officer in 2015. He is responsible for Apple’s iconic designs for the iMac, iPod, MacBook, and iPhone. Ive left Apple in 2019 and founded LoveFrom, a design firm whose clients include Airbnb, Christie’s, Ferrari, and Moncler.
