It has long been reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple chief designer Jony Ive are jointly developing AI hardware, and The Information now reports that they are in funding talks with major venture capital firms such as Emerson Collective and Thrive Capital.
Details about this startup led by Altman and others remain unknown, but according to The Information, they are seeking up to $1 billion in funding. Emerson Collective has already invested in OpenAI, making it a promising source of funding. It is also unclear whether SoftBank's previously reported involvement is still ongoing.
What's particularly interesting about this report is that the AI hardware the startup is trying to develop reportedly “doesn't look like a phone.” This is according to two sources cited in the report, who say that this device—distinct in form from a phone—will “provide a natural and intuitive user experience, primarily through voice interaction.”
What comes to mind as AI hardware are devices like rabbit's “rabbit r1” or Humane's “AI Pin,” which appeared a little while ago. Both are devices that also don't look like phones, focus primarily on voice-based interaction, and use action-driven language models that function like personal assistants—capable of performing tasks beyond simply answering questions, such as detailed web searches or booking tickets.
Given OpenAI and Altman's current level of recognition, if they can offer a similar device in a more refined form, there's a possibility they could succeed more than predecessors like Humane. That said, one would hope that the device developed by Ive and Altman doesn't simply rehash these existing products, but instead offers further added value and is truly groundbreaking. If this endeavor succeeds, it could strengthen OpenAI's position against competitors such as Meta, Google, and Apple in the race to develop AI-powered devices equipped with voice assistants.
Some skeptical investors have expressed caution about assigning a high valuation at this early stage to a product category with no proven track record. It remains unclear whether OpenAI itself will invest in Altman and Ive's hardware startup.
Altman is also pursuing other side projects that complement his work as CEO of OpenAI, including a network to develop and manufacture AI training and inference chips that could potentially compete with NVIDIA. However, it seems that some critics have voiced concerns about Altman's overly ambitious ventures.
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