OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#1

Post by lafreb » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:27 PM UTC

OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture
ft.com

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#2

Post by kirubakaran » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:39 PM UTC

Yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37681663

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#3

Post by pc_edwin » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

The interesting thing is they have the bankroll to actually make this work and it actually makes a lot of sense.

I remember watching a Google I/O presentation back in 2016 when voice assistants were trending. There was all sorts of ideas like APIs to access google assistant, voice/chat being the new interface etc.

The future presented there made so much intuitive sense to me and now the tech has finally caught up. The current static state off affairs has clearly outlived its usefulness.

Its not all sunshine and roses, Apple is an order of magnitude better position to take this leap then OpenAI. I know this may be a little out there but I think Apple made the right move by not jumping the gun with LLMs, IMO it makes more to let the dust settle and either partner with one of the winners or pick up the open standard (Llama 5?)

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#4

Post by tikkun » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:47 PM UTC

For hardware devices that raised >$100mm before launch, how have they gone?

Successes:

* Tesla

Non-successes:

* Magic Leap

* Juicero

* Nuro

* Segway

What else am I missing? I suspect there are other successes that raised >$100mm pre-launch that I'm not thinking of.

I wonder why they wouldn't start smaller. That said, I still expect they'll succeed, and I hope they succeed. I don't believe in any rules of thumb, great startups always defy the odds.

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#5

Post by dkyc » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:49 PM UTC

tikkun wrote: post #4

For hardware devices that raised >$100mm before launch, how have they gone? Successes: * Tesla Non-successes: * Magic Leap * Juicero * Nuro * Segway What else am I missing? I suspect there are other successes that raised >$100mm pre-launch that I'm not thinking of. I wonder why they wouldn't start smaller. That said, I still expect they'll succeed, and I hope they succeed. I don't believe in any rules of thumb, great…

According to public sources Tesla has raised 'only' 60.5m before delivering the first roadsters in February 2008. Though that total increased to 100.5m by the summer of that year. But I get your point.

[0]: https://www.startupranking.com/startup/tesla/funding-rounds

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#6

Post by garrettjoecox » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:50 PM UTC

Something something razor thin aluminium.

On a serious note, I wonder if Altman will be able to control Ive’s obsession with form over function like Jobs did.

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#7

Post by sebzim4500 » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:51 PM UTC

tikkun wrote: post #4

For hardware devices that raised >$100mm before launch, how have they gone? Successes: * Tesla Non-successes: * Magic Leap * Juicero * Nuro * Segway What else am I missing? I suspect there are other successes that raised >$100mm pre-launch that I'm not thinking of. I wonder why they wouldn't start smaller. That said, I still expect they'll succeed, and I hope they succeed. I don't believe in any rules of thumb, great…

I don't think it makes sense to include Juicero in the list. There is no way that whatever Ive and Altman are cooking up is going to be as obviously stupid as Juicero.

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#8

Post by jack_riminton » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:53 PM UTC

$1Bn pre launch funding + Softbank = not a good omen

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#9

Post by alsodumb » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:53 PM UTC

tikkun wrote: post #4

For hardware devices that raised >$100mm before launch, how have they gone? Successes: * Tesla Non-successes: * Magic Leap * Juicero * Nuro * Segway What else am I missing? I suspect there are other successes that raised >$100mm pre-launch that I'm not thinking of. I wonder why they wouldn't start smaller. That said, I still expect they'll succeed, and I hope they succeed. I don't believe in any rules of thumb, great…

A bunch of VTOL/eVTOL and space startups also probably raised >100$ pre-launch I guess?

Skydio raised way more than 100 million and I'd call them success, although I'm not sure if they raised that much pre-launch.

Re: OpenAI and Jony Ive in talks to raise $1B from SoftBank for AI device venture

#10

Post by raverbashing » Thu, Sep 28, 2023, 2:54 PM UTC

sebzim4500 wrote: post #7

tikkun wrote: post #4

For hardware devices that raised >$100mm before launch, how have they gone? Successes: * Tesla Non-successes: * Magic Leap * Juicero * Nuro * Segway What else am I missing? I suspect there are other successes that raised >$100mm pre-launch that I'm not thinking of. I wonder why they wouldn't start smaller. That said, I still expect they'll succeed, and I hope they succeed. I don't believe in any rules of thumb, great…

I don't think it makes sense to include Juicero in the list. There is no way that whatever Ive and Altman are cooking up is going to be as obviously stupid as Juicero.

"There is no way" famous last words...