OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman gave his staff a preview Wednesday of the devices he is developing to build with the former Apple design Jony Ive, laying out plans to ship 100 million AI “companions” that he hopes will become a part of everyday life, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Employees have “the chance to do the biggest thing we’ve ever done as a company here,” Altman said after announcing OpenAI’s plans to purchase Ive’s startup, named io, and give him an expansive creative and design role. Altman suggested the $6.4 billion acquisition has the potential to add $1 trillion in value to OpenAI, according to a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
In the meeting, Ive noted how closely he worked with Steve Jobs before the Apple co-founder died in 2011. With Altman, “The way that we clicked, and the way that we’ve been able to work together, has been profound for me,” Ive said.
The Journal earlier reported that the device won’t be a phone, and that Ive and Altman’s intent is to help wean users from screens. Altman said that the device isn’t a pair of glasses, and that Ive had been skeptical about building something to wear on the body.
9To5Mac reported: Right after yesterday’s bombshell announcement that OpenAI had acquired Jony Ive’s AI startup to form a new company called io, the entire tech world immediately began asking, “OK, but what is it?”
Now, supply chain analysts and frequent Apple leaker Ming-Chi shared what he was able to gather about the mysterious io device.
According to Kuo, mass production of the device is slated to begin next 2027, and assembly and shipping will occur outside China, hoping to reduce geopolitical risks. He says Vietnam is currently the most likely assembly location.
One of the biggest question marks about the product is how people will use, since it has already been reported that it is not a smartphone or smart glasses.
According to Kuo, the device will have cameras and microphones in order to capture the user’s environment and context, and will rely on the user’s smartphones for computing and display capabilities.
AppleInsider reported: After weeks of speculation, OpenAi has brought Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s AI startup for $6.5 billion. Publicly, OpenAI has posted a video discussing Ive and Altman’s partnership in general, but now further details of their work has been revealed.
According to The Washington Post, Altman told OpenAi staff in a meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2015, that the aim is to ship 100 million AI “companions.” He described it as “the chance to do the biggest thing we’ve ever done as a company here.”