OpenAI is acquiring io, a hardware company founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and ex-Apple engineers Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey and Tang Tan. Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, will remain independent but will lead design for all OpenAI products, including software, in a deal worth $6.5 billion.
About 55 io team members will join OpenAI, with the first device expected in 2026. While not aimed to replace smartphones, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says it will be a “totally new kind of thing.” Ive criticized current AI hardware and expressed excitement about this project, calling it a culmination of his 30-year career.
Source: The Verge
