iPhone Design Chief Leaves Apple to Work With Jony Ive and Sam Altman on AI Project

Apple executive Tang Tan, who heads up the iPhone and Apple Watch Product Design teams, is leaving the company in February to work on an artificial intelligence project for Jony Ive and Sam Altman, reports Bloomberg.

As part of the effort, outgoing Apple executive Tang Tan will join Ive's design firm LoveFrom, which will shape the look and capabilities of the new products, according to people familiar with the matter. Altman, an executive who has become the face of modern AI, plans to provide the software underpinnings, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the endeavor isn't public.

According to the report, Tan will lead hardware engineering for the project. While he hasn't left Apple yet, his responsibilities were purportedly divided up this month.


Tan is the just latest in a string of notable departures from Apple. Evans Hankey, Ive's successor, left the company earlier this year. Patrick Coffman, an important UI design leader has left. Colin Burns, who runs the Interaction Architecture team, is leaving next month. Shota Aoyagi, an industrial design team member, has also exited for LoveFrom. In all, it's said that over 20 former Apple employees have joined LoveFrom.

While it is unclear what project LoveFrom and OpenAI are, it's believed that projects in the concept stage include devices for the home.

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