OpenAI may acquire or partner with io Products, a new AI hardware venture by Jony Ive and Sam Altman

OpenAI is reportedly exploring the acquisition of a new AI hardware startup called io Products, co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The startup, which is still in early development stages, focuses on designing AI-powered devices intended to be less socially disruptive than smartphones like the iPhone. According to a report by *The Information*, OpenAI could potentially spend around $500 million on the deal. However, there’s also a possibility that OpenAI may opt for a partnership rather than a full acquisition.

Jony Ive left Apple in 2019 and founded his own design firm, LoveFrom. He later joined forces with Altman to conceptualize new hardware products with integrated AI. The team at io Products includes several former Apple designers, such as Tang Tan and Evans Hankey. The startup has already received funding from Emerson Collective, the philanthropic organization led by Laurene Powell Jobs.

Although specific product details remain under wraps, sources suggest that io Products is developing smart home devices and other AI-integrated consumer technologies. The potential deal underscores OpenAI’s interest in expanding beyond software and LLMs into physical consumer devices that integrate its AI systems more directly into everyday life.