In a packed theater at Fort Mason, after a whirlwind speech of product announcements, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sits down with Sir Jony Ive, the creator of Apple’s most iconic products. The conversation, which was held exclusively for the 1,500 developers in attendance and was not part of the public livestream, offered a clear glimpse of the philosophy and ambition behind their secret collaboration to build a new. "Family" of AI-powered devices.
This partnership is strengthened by OpenAI A staggering $6.5 billion acquisition Ive’s hardware startup Io has been the subject of intense speculation in May. While concrete product details remained secret, the discussion shifted away from specifics and toward a deeper, almost therapeutic mission: to heal our broken relationship with technology.
For nearly 45 minutes, Ive, in his characteristic thoughtful cadence, expressed a vision that feels like both a continuation of and a repentance of his life’s work. The man who designed the iPhone, a device that arguably defined the modern era of personal computing, is now on a quest to fix the concerns it helped create.
Jony Ive’s post-Apple mission, explained by ChatGPT
As I explained, this collaboration had been going on for several years, but it was the launch of ChatGPT that provided a sudden, clear purpose for their post-Apple design group, Love from,
"With the launch of ChatGPT, it felt like our purpose for the last six years became clear," I have said. "We were starting to develop some ideas for an interface based on the potential of the technology that these guys were developing… I’ve never in my career seen something as vague as the affordability, the potential that we’re starting to realize now."
He argued that this capability demands a fundamental rethinking of the tools we use, which he described as "legacy products" From a bygone era. He stressed that the main motivation is not about corporate agenda but about a sense of duty towards humanity.
"We’re doing it because we love our species and we want to be useful," I have said. "We think that humanity deserves much better than it is generally given."
An ‘obscene silence’: Jony Ive’s quest to cure our tech anxiety
The most notable topic of the conversation was Ive’s frank criticism of the current state of technology – the very ecosystem he was instrumental in building. He described our current mobility with our devices as highly flawed, a problem he now sees AI as a solution to, not an extension of.
"I don’t think our relationship with our technology is easy at the moment," I started adding, before adding, "When I said that our relationship with our technology is uneasy, I mean that as the most obscene statement."
Rather than pursuing productivity, the primary goal of this new family of devices is emotional well-being. This is a radical departure from the efficiency-obsessed ethos that dominates Silicon Valley.
When asked about their ambitions for the new devices, they prioritized emotional well-being over simple productivity. "I know I should care about productivity, and I do," He said, but his ultimate goal is the device "Make us happier and fulfilled, and more peaceful and less anxious, and less disconnected."
He called it an opportunity to reject people’s current, fraught relationship with their technology. "We have a chance… to completely change the situation we find ourselves in," He said. "We do not accept that this should be the norm."
Buried in Genius: Why ’15 to 20 Compelling Ideas’ Have Become Ive’s Biggest Challenge
Although the vision is clear, the path is full of challenges. A report has come out regarding Technical barriers and philosophical debates The project is getting delayed. I have voiced this struggle myself, acknowledging that the sheer pace of AI progress has been overwhelming. Rapid advances have created a range of possibilities, making the important task of focusing incredibly difficult.
"The momentum is so extraordinary… it’s led us to generate 15 to 20 really compelling product ideas. And the challenge is trying to concentrate," I have confessed."I used to be good at it, and I’ve lost some confidence because there are options, it would be easier if you really knew three were good… it’s just not the same."
This admission provides context to reports that the team is grappling with unresolved issues surrounding the device "Persona" and computing infrastructure. According to a source, the goal is to create an AI companion "Approachable but not intrusive," avoid the harm of "strange ai girlfriend,"
Beyond the screen: Ive’s design philosophy for ‘indispensable’ AI devices
Although no equipment was shown, conversations and prior reports provide clues. The project includes a "family of devices," Not a single gadget. This will likely be a deviation from the screen-centric world we live in. The report suggests that a "palm-sized device without screen" Which relies on cameras and microphones to understand its environment.
I argued that it would "absurd" To believe that today’s breathtaking AI technology should be distributed "Products that are decades old." The goal is to create something that feels completely new, yet completely natural.
"It must seem inevitable. This should seem obvious, as if there could possibly be no other logical solution to the problem," That said, his time with Steve Jobs is often attributed to his design philosophy.
He also talked about bringing a sense of joy and excitement back to technology, pushing back against a culture he feels has become overly serious.
"In terms of the interface we design, if we can’t smile sincerely, if it’s just another serious kind of special thing, I think it will be a huge loss for all of us," He commented.
The conversation concluded without any product reveals, leaving the audience with a philosophical rather than a technical blueprint. The central narrative is clear: jonny iveThe designer who put a screen in every pocket is now betting on a screen-less future, powered by the formidable intelligence of OpenAI, to make us all a little less anxious and a little more human.
