At the recent Google I/O event in Mountain View, California, the firm’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, expressed his enthusiasm for an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) hardware venture led by OpenAI founder Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive.
Just hours after Google’s AI-focused showcase, Altman and Ive announced a groundbreaking partnership in San Francisco to develop a novel AI device through Ive’s startup, io.
On May 21, OpenAI acquired io in a $6.4 billion all-equity deal, integrating Ive’s creative collective, LoveFrom, to spearhead design and innovation for both OpenAI and io. Pichai described the collaboration as a pivotal moment, predicting that AI’s impact will surpass that of the internet. “I’m looking forward to an ‘Open-io’ announcement,” he said, highlighting the potential for new AI-driven product categories.
As per the reports, Pichai has emphasized the opportunity to innovate in hardware form factors amid the AI platform shift, noting, “I think the future looks exciting.”
The io prototype, designed by Ive and approved by Altman, is slated for a 2026 launch, though details about its features remain undisclosed. Jony Ive, who is famous for designing popular Apple products like the iPhone and MacBook, is now working with OpenAI through his company LoveFrom.
He has also worked with Ferrari and Airbnb. This acquisition of OpenAI is the firm’s biggest ever. The initiative of acquisition comes after they spent $3 billion on another AI company called Windsurf. This partnership of OpenAI and io aims to create a new AI-powered device, with a prototype already designed by Ive. Everyone is eager to see what this new device will be, as this project could lead to new kinds of products that combine advanced AI technologies with creative design in the tech world.
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