According to reports, OpenAI has been in discussions about potentially acquiring an AI hardware startup established by former Apple design lead Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The startup, named io Products, could reportedly be purchased by OpenAI for approximately $500 million, as per information from The Information.
Jony Ive, who departed from Apple in 2019 to establish his own design firm called LoveFrom, confirmed last year during an interview with The New York Times that he was collaborating with Sam Altman on the AI hardware venture. io Products has received funding from various sources, including Laurene Powell Jobs’s Emerson Collective, although specific amounts have not been disclosed.
The Information’s report also suggests that OpenAI might opt for a partnership with io Products instead of a complete acquisition. io Products, which includes a small team featuring former Apple designers Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, has been exploring various concepts for AI-enabled devices, such as smart home gadgets. The New York Times previously indicated that io Products aims to develop products that are perceived as less socially disruptive compared to the iPhone.
