New Delhi, May 22: OpenAI has acquired the AI hardware company “io,” which was started by renowned designer Sir Jony Ive. The development highlights Sam ALtman-run OpenAI’s goal to bring together artificial intelligence (AI) with high-quality design to develop human-centric products. By teaming up with a design expert like Ive, OpenAI likely to offer advanced products for people for everyday life.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Jony Ive partnership announcement was made in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) and a blog post, referring to it as “A collaboration built upon friendship, curiosity and shared values quickly grew in ambition.” As per a report of Times of India, OpenAI has acquired an AI hardware startup "io" founded by designer Sir Jony Ive, in a USD 6.4 billion all-equity deal. As per the Blog Post, "Two years ago, Jony Ive and the creative collective LoveFrom, quietly began collaborating with Sam Altman and the team at OpenAI." ChatGPT Daily Active User Growth Increases Over 4 Times in a Year, Says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Announces Partnership With Jony Ive

Sam Altman said, “AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world. No one can do this like Jony and his team, the amount of care they put into every aspect of the process is extraordinary.”

Jony Ive said, “I am reminded of a time, three decades ago, when I emigrated to America. As a designer, I was drawn to the exhilarating and innocent optimism of Silicon Valley, to collaborate with people driven to create amazing products that elevate humanity.” Sam Altmanrun platform said, 'As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io." OpenAI Codex: Cloud-Based Software Engineering Agent Now Available in ChatGPT iOS App; Know How To Use It.

Who is Jony Ive?

Jony Ive is known for his role as Apple’s Chief Design Officer. He played a major part in designing some of the brand’s most well-known devices like the iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air, and Apple Watch. After spending 27 years at Apple, he departed in 2019 and went on to establish LoveFrom, which is a creative group made up of designers, engineers, artists, and architects. Under the LoveFrom, a new startup "io" was formed about a year ago. However, the company had not yet introduced any products to the public.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2025 05:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).