As early as April, it was rumored that ChatGPT developer OpenAI was collaborating with former Apple Design Director Jony Ive to develop a hardware device, and Ive's latest personal report confirmed this rumor.

The New York Times mentioned the existence of this project in a new report on Ive published this week. According to the report, Ive and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, had dinner last year upon the introduction of Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb.

Subsequently, they formulated a plan to create a new type of computing device powered by generative AI. The core idea is that with the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI, the way humans interact with computers and software is bound to usher in a new breakthrough.

The report stated that the two discussed the topic of "how generative AI can create a new computing device." This technology can do more for users than traditional software, such as summarizing and prioritizing information, recognizing and naming objects, and handling complex requests like booking travel.

This sounds familiar as there have been precedents for similar attempts.

For example, the Rabbit R1, released earlier this year, claims to have been trained on thousands of interfaces to automatically handle tasks such as booking flights, movie tickets, and even hailing taxis.

Unfortunately, this device did not take off. Like Humane AiPin, which it attempted to surpass, Rabbit R1 had a similar concept of leveraging generative AI to largely replace smartphones, but this wearable device has struggled with battery life and overheating issues since its launch.

Another reason for the lack of success of these generative AI devices may be that consumers prefer to use AI services on their smartphones rather than dedicated AI hardware devices.

However, Ive and Altman's startup is committed to better development and has successfully recruited some key talents.

The current team of 10 includes Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, both former design leaders at Apple who worked closely with Ive on developing best-selling products like the iPhone.

The report stated that Ive's company, Love From, is leading the design of this product. However, it is worth noting that Humane AiPin was also designed and launched by former Apple employees.

To accommodate their operations, Ive and his team purchased a 32,000-square-foot building in San Francisco called the Little Fox Theater for $60 million in February this year.

Funding this ambitious endeavor is no small feat. It is reported that Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs and Ive, has made investments and plans to raise up to $1 billion from investors by the end of the year.

The device has been described as an "AI version of the iPhone," and its design is said to potentially draw inspiration from the original iPhone and touch technology.

As for specific details about this mysterious product, they remain undisclosed at this time.

Marc Newson, co-founder of Love From, told The New York Times that the final form and release date of the product are still being determined.