OpenAI, Jony Ive, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son in talks to build ‘iPhone of AI’: report

ChatGPT maker OpenAI and former Apple designer Jony Ive are in talks with investment major SoftBank to raise $1 billion to make AI hardware devices, according to a report in the Financial Times.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Ive and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son are in discussions to build an “iPhone of artificial intelligence”, with funding from the Japanese conglomerate, the report stated.

Altman and Ive have already brainstormed ideas in the latter’s San Francisco studio on what a new consumer product centred on OpenAI’s technology would look like, the report added.


Son has also been involved in some of the discussions and pitched the idea of bringing Arm—SoftBank’s chip designing arm—into the fold in a pivotal role.

Nothing too soon

The report pointed out that Son, Altman and Ive are contemplating creating a company that would use the talent and resources of SoftBank, OpenAI, and LoveFrom, a company Ive started after leaving Apple in 2019.

Despite the discussions, nothing has been set in stone and it would take months for a venture to be formally announced, the news report noted. Even if the venture is announced, it would likely take years before such a device is actually launched in the market.

However, the report added that with the smartphone market plateauing, it would be interesting to see what can rival a smartphone.