San Francisco, CA - Renowned designer Jony Ive, the mastermind behind Apple's iconic aesthetic, is joining forces with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to develop a groundbreaking AI-powered hardware device, according to a recent New York Times profile.

The ambitious project, shrouded in secrecy, is being spearheaded by Ive's design firm LoveFrom in partnership with OpenAI. Backed by significant investment from both Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective, the venture is reportedly seeking to raise up to $1 billion in funding by year's end. While previous rumors pointed to potential involvement from SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, those claims remain unconfirmed.

Details surrounding the device itself are scant, with sources indicating a focus on leveraging generative AI to transcend traditional software limitations and offer users a more seamless and intuitive computing experience. The team, comprised of roughly ten individuals including former Apple colleagues Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, is said to be working from a newly acquired 32,000-square-foot office space in San Francisco.

Despite speculation last year suggesting inspiration from touchscreen technology and the original iPhone, concrete information regarding features and potential launch timelines remains elusive. LoveFrom co-founder Marc Newson has confirmed that both the product concept and its market release are still under development.

The genesis of this collaboration reportedly stems from a series of dinners hosted by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, where Ive and Altman engaged in discussions about the transformative potential of AI in shaping user interaction with technology.

This venture marks Ive's most significant foray into the tech world since his departure from Apple in 2019, while simultaneously representing OpenAI's first foray into consumer hardware. This partnership has the potential to bridge the gap between OpenAI's cutting-edge AI models and everyday consumers, ushering in a new era of intelligent devices.