OpenAI has successfully completed its acquisition of io Products, an AI hardware design firm led by the renowned former Apple designer, Jony Ive. This partnership was initially teased in a video released by Sam Altman and Ive, although the video was later removed due to trademark disputes regarding the name of Ive’s company. Despite this, the acquisition moved forward smoothly.
As of July 9, the “Sam & Jony” page on OpenAI has been updated to announce the merger officially. The page expresses excitement about the integration of the io Products team into OpenAI, while highlighting that Jony Ive and his design company, LoveFrom, will maintain their independence and take on significant design and creative roles within OpenAI. Jony Ive’s journey from Apple to AI innovation is noteworthy.
He spent nearly thirty years at Apple before leaving in 2019 to start his own design firm, LoveFrom. Since then, he has recruited several former Apple employees, including his successor at Apple, Evans Hankey, and design lead Tang Tan, to support this collaboration with OpenAI. Initially, there were reports suggesting OpenAI would acquire Ive’s startup for around $500 million.
However, the final price tag ended up being approximately $6.5 billion in stock. Both Ive and Altman are optimistic about their ability to revolutionize how humans interact with technology. Though the specifics of their new device remain unclear, speculation suggests it may resemble a screenless phone or, at the very least, primarily function as a voice assistant.
Only time will tell if their efforts will surpass those of other ventures like Humane, whose AI Pin faced criticism and ultimately failed.
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