OpenAI acquires former Apple designer Jony Ive's company io to expand into AI hardware

OpenAI recently announced that it would acquire io, an AI hardware startup founded by former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, in an all-stock transaction of approximately $6.4 billion. This is OpenAI's largest acquisition to date, marking its official entry into the field of AI hardware, aiming to create innovative devices for the "post-smartphone era".

The transaction integrates OpenAI's previous 23% stake, and the remaining 77% was acquired in the form of approximately $5 billion in stock. 55 employees of the io team will join OpenAI and continue to work at its headquarters in San Francisco. Ive himself will participate in OpenAI's design work as a consultant, and his creative studio LoveFrom will remain independent, focusing on industrial design and user experience.

io was founded in 2024 by Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to develop a new AI-driven device. The device, known as the "iPhone of the AI era", is still in the conceptual design stage and is expected to be launched in 2026. Ive emphasized that this device is not a traditional mobile phone, but redefines the way people interact with computers through AI technology.

The acquisition also attracted market attention, and Apple's stock price fell more than 2% after the news was announced. Analysts believe that the cooperation between OpenAI and Ive may challenge Apple's leading position in the field of AI hardware. Previously, OpenAI has cooperated with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into the Siri system, but this acquisition shows that OpenAI is seeking to achieve greater autonomy and innovation in the field of hardware.

OpenAI CEO Altman said: "We hope that through this cooperation, we can create AI devices that can inspire people's imagination, just like the changes brought by the iPhone back then." Ive also said: "This is an important moment in my career. We will explore the infinite possibilities of AI technology in the field of hardware together."

This acquisition is not only an important layout of OpenAI in the field of hardware, but also indicates that AI technology will play a more core role in future personal devices. With the continuous development of AI technology, the cooperation between OpenAI and Ive is expected to lead the design trend of the next generation of smart devices.