Reports last fall claimed that Jony Ive and Sam Altman had been talking about creating the iPhone of artificial intelligence . The rumors, which were scarce in detail, came before Altman's brief ousting as CEO of OpenAI. They said Ive and Altman would not make a smartphone and that the new AI hardware endeavor would need an investment amounting to at least $1 billion. This was also at a time when Humane was preparing for the AI Pin launch.
The funding details from The Information indicate that Jony Ive and Sam Altman are going forward. They might have formed a mysterious new company to launch an AI-powered personal device. This device would not look anything like a smartphone, though it's unclear what it would look like. The report says Jony Ive and Sam Altman want $1 billion for the new company. They've been discussing with several potential investors. The list includes Thrive Captial, which invested in OpenAI.