Jony Ive’s OpenAI device gets the Powell Jobs nod of approval
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Summary
Former Chief Design Officer of Apple, Jony Ive, is partnering with AI company OpenAI to create a mysterious new AI-focused device, and comments from Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of nonprofit Emerson Collective and the wife of the late Steve Jobs, have given an indication of what the collaboration may focus on.
Powell Jobs said that while new technology can be beneficial, it “wasn’t designed to have [negative] results,” a reference to the unintended consequences of technology.
This echoes comments made by Ive in May, in which he stated his new work was driven by a need to “own the unintended consequences” of the iPhone, such as smartphone addiction.
The pair have remained close since Steve Jobs’ death in 2011, with Powell Jobs investing in Ive’s new design and hardware startups, LoveFrom and io, respectively.
The io company is being bought by OpenAI for $6.5bn, and Powell Jobs’ investment in the firm means she could see large gains from the success of the new device.