OpenAI, Jony Ive To Raise $1 bn From Softbank
OpenAI is in talks with former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son to launch a venture to build the “iPhone of artificial intelligence”. The venture is backed by over $1bn in funding from the Japanese conglomerate. OpenAI’s chief, Sam Altman, has tapped Ive’s company LoveFrom to develop the ChatGPT creator’s first consumer device. Brainstorming sessions have been held at Ive’s San Francisco studio.
In the same way that the iPhone’s advancements in touchscreen computing released the mass-market potential of the mobile internet, they aim to make using AI more natural and intuitive.
According to them, the process of choosing a design or device is still in its early stages and there are a variety of options on the table.
Son, Altman, and Ive have talked about starting a business that would combine the expertise and technology of their three firms, according to the sources, with SoftBank investing more than $1 billion in the project.
They warned that although talks are reportedly “serious,” no deal has yet been reached and it may take some time before a venture is actually launched. The development of any subsequent hardware product could take several years.
(With inputs from Shikha Singh)
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