Sir Jonathan Paul Ive, better known by the name of Jony Ive, is one of the most important names in Apple's story. This was what was the chief designer of the company, having worked side by side with Steve Jobs to design some of the most important products in Apple's history, including the iPhone, iPad, IPOD, IMAC and even the iOS user interface.
Ive will now join Openai, the company led by Sam Altman and Chatgpt manager. OPENAI announced the acquisition of “IO”, the company founded by Jony IVE, which was dedicated to the development of equipment based on artificial intelligence. Now, all the knowledge of IVE and its ambitions and projects in “IO” will be part of the future of Openai.
Openai wants to create a product “never seen before in consumption equipment”
Jony Ive left Apple in 2019, after 27 years of work in the company. IVE was one of the closest people of Steve Jobs from Apple, having led the design teams of some of the most important devices in the history of the company, including the first iPod, the iMac and many others.
After leaving Apple, IVE founded his own design business, with which he worked with different brands, including Ferrari and Apple herself. Then, IVE was one of the founders of “IO”, a startup whose aim was to design material products based on artificial intelligence.
This startup has now been acquired by OPENAI, for the figure of $ 6.5 billion, as confirmed by the company led by Sam Altman in an official press release. This is the most expensive acquisition in the history of Openai so far.
What is more interesting is that I act will not become an employee of Openai, but with his LOVEFROM design company, they will direct the design of OPENAI products, including his software, according to the company. More than 50 engineers from “IO”, on the other hand, will be part of the Openai. According to the declaration:
“Io will merge with Openai, while Jony and Lovefrom will assume design responsibilities in Openai and IO.”
Official image of Jony Ive (left) next to Sam Altman (right) published by Openai after the acquisition. (Photo: Openai)
As for the products they will develop, Openai's ambition is to create new disruptive experiences, with their own devices. Altman, next to IVE and Lovefrom, considers that they will not be limited to smartphones but do not write devices such as headphones, for example. The first devices should arrive on the market after the acquisition made in 2026.
Ive, in the past, has already mentioned that with “IO”, they want to design a device based on artificial intelligence but less invasive than a traditional mobile, like the iPhone. However, the company is still far from having an “iPhone killer”, in principle, the plan is to innovate, but not to aim to replace the mobiles. “I do not think that our first product disappears from the iPhone, just as smartphones have not disappeared the laptops,” he said in an interview.
Cover image | Wikimedia (with edition)
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