Charles R. Goulding and Anthony Palumbo unpack the collision of AI, form, and function—and why 3D printing is poised to benefit.
Jony Ive, the iconic designer behind Apple’s most beloved hardware products, is once again at the center of a technology revolution. This time, however, the focus isn’t on smartphones or laptops—it’s artificial intelligence. Ive has teamed up with OpenAI in what many are calling a “design renaissance” for AI-enhanced hardware. But beyond the buzz lies a deeper question: Could this creative merger help reshape the landscape of manufacturing, particularly in the 3D printing sector?
From Apple to LoveFrom: The Evolution of a Design Visionary
Since departing Apple in 2019, Jony Ive has steered his creative energies through LoveFrom, a boutique design firm composed of former Apple veterans. LoveFrom has collaborated with notable names like Airbnb and Ferrari, but what’s remained constant is Ive’s relentless pursuit of elegance in form and function. His influence on industrial design is nearly unmatched, and even in his post-Apple endeavors, his designs continue to challenge traditional manufacturing boundaries (Forbes, Wallpaper).
Teaming Up with OpenAI: Crafting the Future of AI Hardware
In 2023, news broke that Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were exploring a new category of consumer hardware—one that would embody artificial intelligence in a tangible, design forward form. Backed by over US$1 billion in potential investment from SoftBank, the project aims to rethink how humans interact with intelligent systems (OpenAI).
While few technical details have been released, what’s clear is this: Ive’s team is tasked with designing a device that doesn’t just house AI but expresses it. This vision demands new materials, interfaces, and design workflows—fertile ground for technologies like additive manufacturing to take root.
The Manufacturing Challenge: Building for AI-First Products
Ive is no stranger to pushing the limits of manufacturing. During his tenure at Apple, his designs drove advances in precision machining, surface treatment, and unibody aluminum construction. These innovations weren’t just aesthetic; they were deeply tied to how products were made (Wired). Today, similar pressures exist as designers seek to encapsulate powerful AI in elegant, approachable form factors.
Here, additive manufacturing (AM) could play a vital role. 3D printing enables rapid prototyping of complex geometries and custom enclosures that traditional manufacturing might find cost-prohibitive or physically impossible. If Ive’s AI device moves from concept to reality, it’s likely that additive manufacturing will be part of its developmental backbone.
Where AI, Design, and 3D Printing Collide
Beyond just prototyping, AI-native hardware presents opportunities for additive manufacturing to shine in end-use applications. Imagine devices tailored to individual users, printed on demand using generative AI models. Or consider internal structures optimized by AI algorithms and fabricated via powder bed fusion or resin-based 3D printing. These are not far-off concepts—they are within reach today.
Jony Ive’s design principles—simplicity, harmony, and intentionality—are uniquely compatible with the possibilities of AM. He has always favored minimal, seamless forms, which align well with the capabilities of additive production. If his influence steers the hardware toward lighter, more sustainable, and highly integrated devices, AM could become not just a prototyping tool but a primary production method.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes, and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing, and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Conclusion: A Ripple Effect Worth Watching
While the details of Jony Ive’s partnership wth OpenAI remain under wraps, its implications are already generating waves. At the crossroads of AI, design, and manufacturing lies a space ripe for innovation—and 3D printing stands to gain ground. Ive’s ability to inspire change in industrial design has already redefined how we interact with technology once before. If his latest venture follows the same trajectory, it could help usher in a new era of intelligent, additively manufactured products.
In the meantime, designers, engineers, and additive manufacturing professionals would do well to keep an eye on what emerges from this creative collision. Where Jony Ive leads, industries tend to follow.
