A chief iPhone and Apple Watch product design executive was reported to be leaving the company soon. Now, a new Bloomberg report claims that the executive is heading to Jony Ive’s design firm to develop AI-first products for OpenAI.
According to the report, Vice President of Product Design Tang Tan will join LoveFrom, a design consultancy firm founded by Apple’s ex-chief of design Jony Ive following his departure from the company in 2019. Tan will reportedly lead hardware engineering work on a secretive artificial intelligence hardware product in collaboration with OpenAI, with the latter providing “software underpinnings” for the device.
Tan was responsible for the product design of the Apple Watch and iPhone, with his responsibilities extending to accessories and acoustics design including AirPods. Tan’s exit will significantly impact Apple’s internal setup, termed a significant setback by insiders affecting the hardware engineering division. His team played a pivotal role in designing key features and engineering strategies for various Apple products. Tan was recognized within Apple for making crucial decisions that led to the triumph of products like AirPods and Apple Watch.
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While OpenAI’s device remains in the early stages, some concepts call for a smart home product. It’s still unclear whether this is the direction that OpenAI will pursue, or whether a more personal device like Humane’s Ai Pin is also in the works.
The report also details an apparent veteran talent “exodus” within Apple, with as many as 14 industrial designers who previously worked under Ive departing the company since 2019. Only six designers from the Ive era still work at Apple, the report adds, with more than 20 ex-Apple employees in total now working at LoveFrom. Many heavyweight designers who worked on the iPhone and recently left Apple include Patrick Coffman, Colin Burns, and Shota Aoyagi.
