OpenAI teams up with Jony Ive and here’s how the AI device will look like according to ChatGPT
A bold new era of AI meets design is quietly taking shape and it might just change the way we experience technology forever.
In a move that could mark a paradigm shift in consumer technology, Jony Ive, the design visionary behind Apple’s most iconic products and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have unveiled io, a new company set to build the next generation of intelligent hardware.
Their collaboration, initially rooted in informal creative exchange, has now matured into a full-fledged design and technology partnership, culminating in a merger between io and OpenAI. The announcement was made on 21 May, with both Altman and Ive emphasising a shared desire to create products that “inspire, empower and enable” tools built not just for functionality but for a deeper, more human relationship with technology.
“What it means to use technology can change in a profound way,” said Altman. “I hope we can bring some of the delight, wonder and creative spirit that I first felt using an Apple Computer 30 years ago.”
A Glimpse of ‘io’: What Will the Device Look Like?
While details remain under wraps, early concept images suggest that the first io device will be a radical departure from current consumer electronics and more importantly, from the smartphone itself. Drawing on visualisations generated by ChatGPT and its image model, the io device family may include small, screenless, pebble-like objects with soft, matte textures and rounded contours. The aesthetic is distinctly post-smartphone: no visible buttons, minimal logos, and an almost meditative physical presence.
The speculative devices, which range in form from discreet wearable pods to palm-sized companions, appear to prioritise seamless AI interaction over traditional app-based navigation. They’re designed less like tools and more like artefacts; ambient, intuitive, and emotionally resonant.
Think less Siri on a phone, more Jarvis in your pocket.
According to sources familiar with the project, the user interface may rely heavily on voice, context-aware AI, and possibly subtle projected displays or haptic feedback. The goal is to create a product that understands the user’s intent before they have to command it, essentially turning AI into an ever-present collaborator in daily life.
Designing AI Around People, Not the Other Way Round
This vision isn’t just about appearance. It’s about experience. Ive’s design philosophy has always married emotional resonance with physical simplicity, while Altman’s work with OpenAI is pushing boundaries in multi-modal understanding, natural language processing, and reasoning.
“Great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people,” Altman said. “No one can do this like Jony and his team.”
The Bigger Picture
io also reunites Ive with some of his closest former Apple colleagues: Evans Hankey, Scott Cannon, and Tang Tan, heavyweights in design, operations, and product architecture. The company is being backed by OpenAI, effectively making it the hardware arm of the world’s most advanced AI company.
The implications are massive: a new class of personal device, deeply integrated with OpenAI’s models, could eventually challenge the relevance of smartphones, wearables, and even laptops. For now, we wait but the tone is clear. This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about redefining the relationship between humans and machines, from the ground up.
As Jony Ive puts it: “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment.”
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