OpenAI forms a new hardware division with the io team, led by Jony Ive, to develop AI-native devices, possibly launching a voice-first product as early as 2026.

Did Sam Altman just figure out what AI's been missing? Or did he get locked into the very thinking he's spent his career avoiding?

Jony Ive's career was mainly at Apple, designing products like the iPhone and Mac. Now he'll work at OpenAI, which bought his AI device startup io.

OpenAI is acquiring Jony Ive and Sam Altman's startup, io, which will lead creative and design work for OpenAI.

Altman and Ive announced OpenAI’s acquisition of Ive’s io in a statement Wednesday, with the deal valued at roughly $6.5 billion after OpenAI acquired 23% of io in a partnership deal in 2024.

Sam Altman’s acquisition of a storied design firm positions him as a contender to the legacy of Steve Jobs: not just reshaping software, but also reimagining devices.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares declined after reports surfaced that OpenAI is acquiring Jony Ive’s hardware startup, io Products, in a $6.5 billion deal. The acquisition has fueled investor concerns about rising competition in the consumer device market.

With Ive leading design, OpenAI aims to pair the tech behind its ChatGPT chatbot with product design expertise that made the iPhone a bestseller.

Here's everything we know so far about the mysterious upcoming AI device from the iPhone designer and creator of ChatGPT.