Laurene Powell Jobs Views Jony Ive OpenAI AI Device Prototype

Jony Ive, former Apple design chief, is collaborating with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on a secretive AI device, with Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, closely involved as an investor in Ive's design collective LoveFrom and hardware startup io, which OpenAI recently acquired for about $6.5 billion. Powell Jobs described witnessing the ideation and prototyping process of this new product as a “wondrous thing to behold,” expressing optimism about its potential impact. Ive and Powell Jobs acknowledge the unintended negative consequences of past technologies like the iPhone, such as smartphone addiction, and they aim to create technology that better serves humanity. The device is expected to be part of a “family of AI products,” possibly including wearable forms that are contextually aware through cameras and microphones. Though specific details about the gadget remain under wraps, both Ive and Altman emphasize a desire to rethink how people interact with technology, with Ive saying this project has reignited his optimism. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to designing AI tools that are thoughtfully integrated with human needs and experiences.