Can Jony Ive make the magical AI device everyone will want?

If you’ve always wanted to wear your Apple Magic Mouse on your lapel, your chance may come soon.

A profile of Jony Ive in the New York Times revealed that LoveFrom, the design company Ive founded after leaving Apple, is working with OpenAI to “create a new computing device because the technology could do more for users than traditional software.” The project has funding from Ive, Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective, and private investors.

The Times report provides direct confirmation of the partnership. Last year, The Information reported that Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were in early talks about a possible team-up, and the Financial Times reported that SoftBank has put over $1 billion into the project.

The Times doesn’t provide any specifics about the “secret” project with the goal of a “computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone.” In its report last year, the Financial Times said that Ive was interested in a design that did not rely on a display.

Whether it has a display or not, the question remains whether a hardware device solely for AI functionality will find a mass audience. We’ve already seen two AI assistants debut and flop, hard: The Rabbit r1, a “pocket companion,” and the wearable Humane AI Pin. Despite both products featuring unique designs, neither was able to gain any momentum after their initial release. Ive’s effort will almost certainly get a ton of attention, but convincing people to buy a new gadget that likely needs its own subscription will be difficult.

The problem with convincing the general public that they need a dedicated mobile AI device is that they already have one: their smartphones. While AI companies like OpenAI believe AI can be a specific stand-alone product, Apple’s approach is that AI is the basis of features for a broader product set across its range of existing iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI feature set for its operating systems, will be rolled out over the next few months, starting the major point-one 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 was the person behind iconic Apple designs for the iMac, iPod, MacBook, and iPhone. Ive left Apple in 2019 and started LoveFrom, a design company whose clients reportedly include Airbnb, Christie’s, Ferrari, and Moncler.