Jony Ive revealed at OpenAI’s DevDay conference in San Francisco that he is currently exploring between 15 and 20 distinct product ideas for a new family of AI-powered devices, emphasizing that they will likely be very different from smartphones or tablets—devices he helped define during his tenure at Apple. Speaking alongside CEO Sam Altman, Ive expressed deep concern about humanity’s current relationship with technology, calling it “uncomfortable” and describing it as a “most obscene understatement.” He said the goal of the new devices is not just to improve on existing tech, but to fundamentally change how people interact with it—making users happier and less anxious. “We have a chance to not just redress that, but absolutely change the situation that we find ourselves in,” Ive said. “We don’t have to accept this as the norm.” The comments appear to be a subtle critique of the smartphone era, which Ive helped shape, and a clear signal that OpenAI’s new hardware ambitions will prioritize well-being and intuitive design over sleek aesthetics and exclusivity. He stressed that the team is deeply focused on understanding human-to-human interaction and how tools are woven into daily life, noting that our thinking is intricately tied to the devices we use. Despite his criticism of current tech trends, Ive referenced a core principle from Steve Jobs: products should feel inevitable. “It should seem obvious—like there wasn’t possibly another rational solution,” he said. “You’ll look at something and think, ‘Well, yeah, of course you’d do it that way. Why did it take so long?’” The announcement comes after OpenAI acquired Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, earlier this year for over $6 billion. The move has fueled speculation about what kind of AI hardware OpenAI might develop. Altman previously hinted at the idea of an AI companion device and a broader ecosystem of tools. Ive acknowledged the challenge of focusing amid such rapid innovation. “The momentum has led us to create 15 to 20 really compelling product ideas,” he said. “The real difficulty is deciding which ones to pursue—because it’s not like we know there are just three good ones. We’re designing a family of products, and we’re trying to be thoughtful and judicious about what we focus on.” With Ive’s design vision now aligned with OpenAI’s AI ambitions, the collaboration could pose a significant challenge to Apple, which has been slow to integrate generative AI into its hardware ecosystem. The new devices may not only redefine personal computing but also shift the balance of power in the tech industry.