OPENAI

OpenAI is reportedly looking to buy io Products, the AI hardware startup led by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a deal that could be worth over $500 million.

Ive and OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman have been working together on a new kind of AI-powered device since 2023.

The project is still under wraps, but it's been described as a “personal device.”

Some say it’s an AI-driven smartphone without a screen, while others insist it’s not a phone at all. No final design has been decided yet.

Here’s what to know:

  • OpenAI may buy Jony Ive’s startup for over $500 million.

  • The AI-powered device is still in development and not yet defined.

  • Apple has delayed its own AI updates, including a major Siri revamp.

Hardware era unlocked

According to The Information, a full acquisition would bring Ive’s design team into OpenAI, giving the AI firm a stronger foothold in consumer hardware.

It could also put them in direct competition with Apple, which has been pushing AI features for the iPhone, though internal delays, especially with Siri, have slowed progress.

Ive, who left Apple in 2019 to start LoveFrom, has brought in former colleagues from Apple to help shape the new product.

That includes top names who previously led design on the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Neither company has commented publicly on the potential deal.

Apple’s out here struggling with Siri while OpenAI’s playing chess.

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