WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - OpenAI has struck a landmark deal to acquire Sir Jony Ive's startup io for $6.5 billion, enlisting the British design luminary to spearhead its next-generation hardware ambitions.
The agreement brings Ive celebrated for shaping Apple's iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad-into a deep creative partnership that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hailed as 'a chance to completely reimagine what it means to use a computer.'
Under the terms of the merger, Ive will assume 'deep design and creative responsibilities' across OpenAI, collaborating on a new family of AI-powered devices built from the ground up.
Altman shared that early prototypes crafted by Ive's team have 'completely captured our imagination,' calling them 'the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen.'
The move addresses a long-standing industry challenge: marrying cutting-edge AI software with compelling, consumer-ready hardware.
Despite rapid advances in AI, previous attempts by other firms to launch bespoke AI devices have faltered amid tepid reviews and technical shortcomings. OpenAI's bet on Ive's design mastery aims to break that mold.
Ive spent 27 years at Apple before departing in 2019 to found LoveFrom, which quietly collaborated with OpenAI for two years prior to launching io last year. His departure reportedly contributed to a more than 2 percent dip in Apple's share price upon news of the deal.
Analysts predict that Ive's involvement will lend vital credibility as OpenAI moves beyond software challenging established hardware makers like Apple, Google and Meta to deliver a seamless, AI-first computing experience.
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