Legendary designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are teaming up with a former Apple Inc. executive to develop new artificial intelligence (AI) hardware devices. Tang Tan, who recently stepped down as Apple’s vice president of iPhone and watch product design, will join Ive’s design firm LoveFrom to shape the look and capabilities of these new products. Altman, a prominent figure in the AI industry, will provide the software expertise. The project, which aims to create devices with the latest AI capabilities, represents one of Ive’s most ambitious endeavors since leaving Apple in 2019. While the development is still in its early stages, LoveFrom is focused on hiring talent and creating conceptual designs.
Tan, who will lead hardware engineering, remains at Apple until February but will work on the AI project alongside his role at LoveFrom. News of Tan’s departure adds to an exodus of design talent from Apple, with approximately 14 members of Ive’s former team leaving since 2019. Apple has been left without an immediate successor for Evans Hankey, who briefly served as Ive’s replacement and subsequently left the company. Currently, Apple’s chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, oversees the design team directly.
LoveFrom has already attracted high-profile clients such as Airbnb, Ferrari, and Moncler, and counts over 20 former Apple employees among its ranks. Shota Aoyagi, another member of Ive’s notable industrial design team at Apple, has also joined LoveFrom recently. OpenAI declined to comment on the project but referred questions to LoveFrom, which also chose not to respond. Apple likewise declined to comment on the matter.
The collaboration between Ive, Altman, and Tan reveals a significant push into AI devices, with a particular focus on home devices. Altman’s vision for the project has reportedly raised some eyebrows among OpenAI’s board members due to his fundraising efforts for other ventures, such as seeking a multibillion-dollar investment from SoftBank Group Corp. Chairman Masayoshi Son.
As this exciting AI device initiative continues to evolve, industry observers eagerly await further updates on LoveFrom’s progress in designing the next generation of AI-powered devices.
