Former Apple chief designer Jony Ive is collaborating with OpenAI, the company responsible for ChatGPT, on AI hardware development. OpenAI acquired Ive’s startup, io, for $6 billion earlier this year. The firm, led by Sam Altman, is ramping up efforts to create its inaugural hardware products and is actively recruiting talent from Apple.
Reportedly, OpenAI has onboarded more than 40 Apple employees for its hardware division in the past month, including high-level directors, managers, and engineers from various Apple hardware departments. LoveFrom, Jony Ive’s design studio, was also predominantly staffed by former Apple team members in the past.
Following the acquisition of Ive’s startup, OpenAI teased the potential launch of its first AI hardware products in 2026. Notably, several key figures from Apple, such as former industrial design head Evans Hankey and hardware engineering executive Tang Tan, have joined OpenAI’s hardware initiatives. The expertise of these new recruits is expected to significantly bolster OpenAI’s hardware development, as the company ventures into this domain without having launched its hardware products yet.
Meanwhile, Apple, under the guidance of John Ternus, is actively engaged in advancing its AI-driven hardware projects, including smart home devices, revamped robotics endeavors, possible AI-infused AirPods with cameras, and smart glasses. The departure of skilled engineers to OpenAI could potentially impede Apple’s progress in realizing these ambitions, especially in the face of intense competition in advanced hardware design and AI integration. Apple is reportedly displeased with the talent drain to the AI company.
Furthermore, Apple has lagged behind in the AI sector, particularly concerning personal assistants. The tech giant is said to be paying Google $1 billion for a Gemini-powered Siri, slated for release next year. This move underscores Apple’s efforts to catch up in the AI race amid evolving market dynamics.