Former Apple designer Jony Ive says he wants his OpenAI devices to make people happy and less anxious rather than simply boost productivity, speaking at OpenAI’s developer conference in San Francisco on Monday.
Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed they are working on a family of devices but provided few details about specifications or use cases, reports WIRED.
“I don’t think we have an easy relationship with our technology at the moment,” said Ive. “Rather than seeing AI as an extension of those challenges, I see it very differently.”
Ive said his team has generated between 15 and 20 compelling product ideas while determining which hardware to focus on. He explained that one reason he wanted to design an AI-powered device with OpenAI is to transform people’s relationships with their everyday devices.
While Ive acknowledged AI’s potential to boost productivity, efficiency does not appear to be his core goal. The devices should make people happy, fulfilled, peaceful, less anxious and less disconnected, he said.
Earlier reporting indicated that OpenAI is planning to manufacture a new category of hardware that does not resemble a phone or laptop. The device might be screenless and rely on inputs from cameras and microphones. A late 2026 launch may be the target, according to the Financial Times.
OpenAI announced in May that it was buying Io, a joint project between the AI startup and Ive’s design firm LoveFrom, though Ive would remain independent.
