Apple Legend Jony Ive Takes Control of OpenAI's Design Future

On Wednesday, OpenAI announced that former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his design firm LoveFrom will take over creative and design control at OpenAI. The deal entrusts Ive with shaping the future look and feel of AI products at the chatbot creator, extending across all of the company's ventures, including ChatGPT.

Ive served as Apple's chief design officer for nearly three decades. During his tenure, he led the design of iconic products, including the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch. These efforts earned him numerous industry awards and played a crucial role in transforming Apple into the world's most valuable company, all thanks to his minimalist design philosophy.

"Thrilled to be partnering with Jony, in my own view, the greatest designer in the world," tweeted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alongside a 9-minute promotional video highlighting the personal and professional relationship between Ive and Altman.

Jony Ive left Apple in 2019 to establish LoveFrom, a design firm that has collaborated with companies like Ferrari, Airbnb, and luxury Italian fashion brand Moncler. The mechanics of the Ive-OpenAI deal are somewhat complex. Essentially, OpenAI will acquire Ive's company "io" through an all-equity transaction valued at $6.5 billion. Ive founded io last year to focus on designing and developing AI-powered products. Meanwhile, io's workforce, comprising about 55 engineers, scientists, researchers, physicists, and product development experts, will integrate into OpenAI's team.

LoveFrom, Ive's design firm, will continue to operate independently, with OpenAI as a client. In return, LoveFrom will acquire a stake in OpenAI. The companies expect the transaction to close this summer, pending regulatory approval.

In some respects, the deal is not entirely unexpected. Ive's design firm and Altman have been working together on a new AI-focused consumer electronics device for the past two years. The collaboration is reportedly aimed at reducing screen time, with prototypes including headphones and devices equipped with cameras.

Although Ive is best known for crafting physical products at Apple, he also took on more software-related responsibilities toward the end of his career there. At OpenAI, his work will encompass future versions of ChatGPT, audio features, apps, and other innovative products.

A significant aspect of marketing the deal has been the reported friendship between Altman and Ive. According to a statement published on OpenAI's website, Altman expressed his desire for the partnership to "bring some of the delight, wonder, and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago." Altman had previously told Ars Technica that his first computer was a Macintosh LC II, introduced in 1992.

Reflecting on his legacy and future endeavors, the former Apple designer shared, "I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment," capturing his long and storied career in industrial design.