Jony Ive, former chief designer at Apple, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have launched a joint project called ‘io’. The aim is to develop a new generation of hardware that will integrate artificial intelligence into everyday life in a more intuitive way.
Source: OpenAI
The new subsidiary’s aim is to develop an innovative device that seamlessly and intuitively integrates artificial intelligence into everyday life in an emotionally accessible way. The official announcement was made on 21 May 2025 via the OpenAI website.
The company was founded in collaboration with Ive’s design studio, LoveFrom. Also on board are prominent figures from Apple’s former design team, including Evans Hankey and Tang Tan. The team operates from a 3,000-square-metre office in San Francisco. Financial support comes from Ive, Altman, and Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective, among others. According to media reports, the company is estimated to be worth up to 6.5 billion US dollars.
In terms of content, however, it is about far more than just another technical gadget. Altman described the planned product as ‘one of the coolest and most important technologies’ ever developed. Rather than being a new smartphone, it is a radically different device intended to be a personal AI companion in everyday life. What exactly this means remains unclear for the time being. No specific details have yet been released regarding functionality, timings or target audience.
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