More than 20 former Apple employees have now joined LoveFrom to work on the same project.
Over the last few months, talks around OpenAI planning to develop a new AI-powered device, possibly a smartphone, are rising. Reports speculate that the phone could become a competitor to the popular iPhone, boasting superior hardware and the power of AI. The possibilities surrounding the project further gained momentum when Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief design officer, joined LoveFrom, a design company. Now reports reveal that another Apple’s executive has joined Ive’s team to work on the project with OpenAI.
According to Bloomberg, more than 20 former Apple employees have joined the design firm LoveFrom to collaborate on the AI project with OpenAI. The most recent addition is Tang Tan, Apple’s chief iPhone and Apple Watch designer, who recently resigned and is set to join the project in February. The report suggests that Tan will work with Jony Ive at LoveFrom, alongside OpenAI’s Sam Altman, to “work on a new artificial intelligence hardware project.”
For context: Jony Ive worked for Apple for 27 years, contributing significantly to pivotal roles in designing iconic products such as the 1998 iMac, iPhone, and Apple Park campus. Throughout his time at Apple, he played a crucial role in developing key products like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, contributing significantly to the strategic direction of these groundbreaking innovations. In 2019, Ive quietly departed from Apple and, since then, has been engaged with various tech companies, including a recent collaboration with OpenAI.
Reportedly, now Ive will be joined by Tan, who will lead hardware engineering at LoveFrom for an artificial intelligence hardware project. The report, citing familiar sources, reveals that OpenAI’s CEO, Altman, plans to provide the software underpinnings for the AI project designed by LoveFrom.
While rumours point towards LoveFrom working on an “AI device,” precise details remain under wraps. However, speculation strongly suggests a futuristic smartphone is in the works. The speculation is also backed by the fact that all of Apple’s ex-executives who have joined the company have decades of design expertise, having shaped the iconic iPhone.
So, with the combined expertise of Jony Ive’s design genius, Tang Tan’s ability to shape device aesthetics and functionality, and Sam Altman’s cutting-edge AI offerings from OpenAI will surely revolutionise our mobile experience, regardless of whether it takes the form of a smartphone or a yet-to-be-imagined device.
Meanwhile, concerning Apple’s loss of its high executives, following Ive and Tang Tan, Patrick Coffman, one of Apple’s most important user interface design leaders, has also left the company. Another executive, Colin Burns, who worked as a former design executive at the British Broadcasting Corp. and joined Apple after Ive, has recently stepped down and is departing in January. He is responsible for Apple’s Interaction Architecture team, which explores early hardware and software concepts. Shota Aoyagi, another member of Ive’s storied industrial design team at Apple, has also left the company and has recently started at LoveFrom.
