Jony Ive, former Apple design chief, confirms partnership with OpenAI
The project is financially backed by Ive and the Emerson Collective, a company owned by Laurene Powell Jobs. The New York Times suggests that this venture could potentially attract up to $1 billion in funding by year-end. However, there was no mention of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who was rumored last year to have invested a similar amount into the project. Currently, the project team comprises just 10 members. Notably among them are Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, both of whom previously collaborated with Ive on the iPhone. Last year's rumors suggested that the device they're developing could be influenced by touchscreen technology, and draw inspiration from the original iPhone — a speculation that aligns with Tan's and Hankey's involvement in this venture.