OpenAI is acquiring hardware company IO, founded by Jony Ive, in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion to develop innovative AI hardware. Led by Ive and Sam Alman, the collaboration aims to create groundbreaking devices expected to be unveiled around 2026, with a focus on revolutionizing technology and enhancing human potential.
OpenAI is acquiring IO, a hardware company founded by Jony Ive, the former Apple design chief. The deal is valued at nearly $6.5 billion, highlighting the significant investment in this new venture. The collaboration aims to develop innovative AI hardware, although specific products have not yet been announced. The partnership brings together OpenAI’s expertise in artificial intelligence with Ive’s renowned design experience.
Johnny Ive and Sam Alman are working together to build advanced AI hardware, with a focus on creating groundbreaking devices. Ive has expressed excitement about their first project, describing it as a device that has captured their imagination. Ive recently shared a prototype with a journalist, who praised it as the coolest piece of technology the world has seen, indicating high confidence in the product’s potential.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Ive criticized previous AI hardware products like the Humane Pin and Rabbit R1, calling them poor products that lack innovative thinking. He emphasized that there has been a noticeable absence of new ideas in recent hardware designs. This suggests that the new collaboration aims to break away from past shortcomings and introduce fresh, revolutionary concepts in AI hardware.
The team’s initial work is expected to be unveiled next year, with anticipation building around its potential impact. Ive and Alman are already hyping up their upcoming product, suggesting it could represent a new era in technology. The project is seen as a significant step toward advancing AI hardware that could transform how we interact with technology.
Looking ahead, Ive is optimistic about the future, believing that their work could usher in a new generation of technology capable of making people better. He envisions their innovations as a way to enhance human potential. However, the true impact of their efforts will only be known when the first product is released, which is expected around 2026.