OpenAI is acquiring io, a hardware company founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his team, including Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan. Although Ive will not join OpenAI, his design firm LoveFrom will lead design efforts for all OpenAI products, including software. The acquisition, valued at nearly $6.5 billion, includes around 55 engineers and experts from io joining OpenAI. The first new devices from this collaboration are expected to launch in 2026. Ive criticized previous AI hardware products as poor and emphasized the need for new innovative thinking. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the upcoming product as a revolutionary new device that won’t replace smartphones but will mark a new technological generation. The collaboration has been in progress for two years and has involved exploring various device concepts.
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