OpenAI, Jony Ive face tech hurdles in building AI device

The portable artificial intelligence (AI) device being developed by OpenAI and veteran tech designer Jony Ive has run into technical troubles on the road to launch, according to a Financial Times report.

A prototype of the device is ready, as OpenAI cofounder and chief executive Sam Altman had indicated in May, when he announced the acquisition of Ive’s design startup io for $6.5 billion. Altman had onboarded Ive — known for designing Apple’s iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs — to develop a screenless AI-enabled device.

Under the acquisition deal, io merged with OpenAI, while Ive and his design collective LoveFrom took on "deep creative and design responsibilities” across the two companies. Their primary role is to develop AI devices for OpenAI, but details are scarce.


The device will utilise cameras and microphones to capture video and audio cues from users’ surroundings, according to the FT report. While Ive has developed the hardware, OpenAI is facing troubles with the software and the infrastructure to power it, the report said. These hiccups can delay the product’s launch, scheduled for next year, the report added.

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The troubles include the on-device assistant’s personality, privacy issues and budgeting for the required computing power. While peers Amazon and Google have the compute for their respective AI models, OpenAI is struggling to get enough compute to run ChatGPT as it is, FT reported, citing one person close to Ive. Running an AI model on devices produced en masse would need the computing puzzle to be solved, the person added.

Another issue is ensuring that the device responds only when required, preventing it from talking too much or not knowing when to stop talking, an issue common with ChatGPT, the report said.

Late last month, OpenAI signed a $100 billion deal with Nvidia, where the AI major will buy millions of chips from the leading AI chipmaker to keep up with its increased compute needs amid rising demand.

Also Read: Nvidia's $100 billion OpenAI play raises big antitrust issues

Also in September, OpenAI signed a deal with Apple assembler Luxshare for the manufacture of its device. In addition, OpenAI has approached China-based Goertek, a supplier that assembles AirPods, HomePods and Apple Watches, to provide components, including speaker modules, for its planned devices, the Information report said.