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Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, is reportedly seeking funding for an AI-powered, personal device – perhaps not unlike the Humane AI Pin – and ex-Apple design guru Jony Ive is apparently getting involved as well. This is as per The Information (via MacRumors), and the rumor is that Altman and Ive have started a "mysterious company" together to make the device a reality. The report doesn't mention much about the hardware, except to say it won't look like a smartphone. As we've seen with the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, having an AI assistant running on a device means you don't necessarily need a display and traditional apps – the artificial intelligence engine can do everything for you, no tapping or scrolling required. Altman and Ive are said to be seeking around $1 billion in funding, so this is clearly a major undertaking we're talking about. It's not clear how much involvement OpenAI would have, but its ChatGPT bot would most likely be used on the new device. Previous rumors ChatGPT could find itself in a new device (Image credit: Shutterstock/Daniel Chetroni) This hasn't come completely out of the blue: back in September The Financial Times reported that Altman and Ive were "in talks" to get funding for a new project from SoftBank, a Japanese investment company. SoftBank has a stake in CPU company Arm, which might be tapped to provide components for the hardware – which can't run entirely on AI cloud magic of course. All this is speculation for the time being, however. In January, Sam Altman was spotted touring around a Samsung chip factory, so all the indications are that he's planning something in terms of physical hardware. It remains to be seen just how advanced this hardware is though. During his time with Apple, Jony Ive led the design teams responsible for the iPod, iPhone, iPad and MacBook, so whatever is in the pipeline, we can expect it to look stylish. We can also expect to hear more about this intriguing device in the years ahead. You might also like How to get started using ChatGPTNew Rabbit R1 demo promises a world without appsChatGPT now has its own app store View the full article

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive have officially teamed up to design an AI-powered personal device and are seeking funding, reports The Information. Little is known about the AI device at this time, but it won't look like a smartphone. Altman is a major investor in the Humane AI pin, a wearable AI device that does not have a screen, so it's possible he will create a similar product with Ive. News of a possible partnership between Ive and Altman first surfaced last fall, but talks were in the early stages and nothing was official then. Ive and Altman's unnamed startup is now sourcing funds from major venture capitalists, with Ive aiming to raise up to $1 billion in funding. OpenAI could own a piece of the business, and the duo has also been in talks with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Potential investors include Thrive Capital, an OpenAI investor, and Emerson Collective, a venture capital firm and philanthropic organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. Ive left his role as Apple design chief in 2019, and while he still worked with the Cupertino company as a consultant for several years after through his firm LoveFrom, Ive and Apple stopped working together entirely in 2022.Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Jony Ive, OpenAI This article, "Jony Ive and OpenAI's Sam Altman Seeking Funding for Personal AI Device" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article