Ex-Apple Designer Jony Ive Working on New Secret Project with OpenAI - 1

Photo by Alexey Komissarov on Unsplash

Ex-Apple Designer Jony Ive Working on New Secret Project with OpenAI

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

Apple’s former celebrity designer Jony Ive confirmed to be working on a new AI startup with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in a profile interview for the New York Times. The project involves a new device—expected to be “less socially disruptive than the iPhone”—but its name or release date remains a secret.

Ive quit his full-time position at Apple 5 years ago, after 27 years—he joined Apple’s design team in 1992— to create his own design company, LoveFrom, for which he has only publicly shared a simple website featuring just the company name.

“For five years, I haven’t talked to anybody about what we’re doing,” said Ive to the New York Times in June, and confirmed that he agreed to work on an AI project with Altman after meeting him last year.

The designer did not provide a name for the new company or too many details of the project—first reported by TechCrunch in 2023—, but shared some relevant information on what they are building.

He and Altman “talked about how generative A.I. made it possible to create a new computing device because the technology could do more for users than traditional software since it could summarize and prioritize messages, identify and name objects like plants and eventually field complex requests like booking travel.”

After multiple meetings with Altman, LoveForm is now leading the design team of the new secret device which already has private investment, and founders expect to reach $1 billion by the end of the year after reaching out to more tech investors.

Ive has shown the headquarters of the new secret company in San Francisco, next to one of his properties and current LoveFrom studio. The new office space cost $60 million, and the company already has 10 employees, including former Apple designers Evans Hankey and Tang Tan.

UK, US, Canada Form AI, Cybersecurity Partnership - 2

Image by Ecole polytechnique from Wikimedia Commons

UK, US, Canada Form AI, Cybersecurity Partnership

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Partnership aims to enhance defence capabilities in cybersecurity and AI.
  • Collaborative efforts focus on resilient systems and trustworthy AI technologies.
  • Agreement addresses rapid technological advancements and evolving defence challenges.

The UK, US, and Canada have announced today a new trilateral partnership to advance research in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).

The agreement, formalized by the UK’s Ministry of Defence, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and Canada’s Department of National Defence, aims to enhance defence capabilities across the three nations.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will lead the UK’s efforts, while Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) will represent Canada.

This collaboration focuses on developing new technologies, methodologies, and tools to address real-world security challenges. Key areas include AI, resilient systems, and information domain technologies.

The new partnership aligns with a recent United Nations report calling for global governance of AI. The UN report highlights AI’s positive impact across sectors, and emphasizes the risks of unchecked development, such as algorithmic bias and privacy threats.

It stresses the need for a coordinated global framework to ensure AI’s benefits are equitably distributed and its risks managed.

Dr. Nick Joad from the UK Ministry of Defence highlighted the significance of these international partnerships in driving forward research in AI and cybersecurity.

DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins emphasized the strength of collective collaboration, stating that working together enhances each country’s capabilities.

Among the initiatives already underway is the Cyber Agents for Security Testing and Learning Environments (CASTLE) programme, which trains AI to autonomously defend networks against cyber threats.

Other areas of interest include human-AI teaming in military contexts, developing trustworthy AI systems, and improving the resilience and security of information systems.

The partnership is driven by the rapid pace of technological advancement and the need for robust defence strategies in a shifting geopolitical landscape.