Jony Ive has confirmed that he is working with Sam Altman’s company OpenAI to create a new AI device. The confirmation was shared with the NYT almost a year after it was first rumored that Ive was working with Altman on a potential OpenAI phone. The two are reportedly working on a next-generation device that could redefine personal computing. Although details are still scarce, the project is already causing quite a stir in the tech world, and for good reason.

According to the report, Ive and Altman were first connected through Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Now, with funding from Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and Ive, they have begun work on Ive’s most important post-Apple project. The venture is currently small in size, with a team of just 10 employees, but it is not lacking in talent. Ive is accompanied by Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, two key figures from Ive’s Apple days who worked on the iPhone. Together, they are working from a new 32,000 square foot office in San Francisco, part of a $90 million real estate purchase by Ive.

While the project is still in its early stages, rumors about this mysterious device are rife. As the NYT reports, discussions between Ive and Altman have centered around the potential of generative AI to power a new kind of computing device — one that can handle far more complex requests than traditional software. And with OpenAI’s successes in tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E, it’s not hard to imagine how AI could be at the heart of this project.

For Jony Ive, this new venture is his biggest leap into the tech world since his departure from Apple in 2019. While he continues to consult for Apple through LoveFrom until 2022, this new device could be his grand return to innovation. After all, Ive has a 27-year legacy at Apple, in which he designed game-changing products like the iMac, iPhone, and even the Apple Park campus. Now, he’s once again trying to push the boundaries of design, but this time with AI as the engine driving his vision.

There’s a lot to be excited about here. The combination of Ive’s design talent, Tan’s hardware expertise, and Altman’s AI capability could lead to a phenomenal product — something that could rival the iPhone in its impact. While we’re still waiting for more concrete details, one thing is clear: the collaboration between Ive and Altman has the potential to reshape the tech landscape, just as the iPhone did in 2007.