Update from May 22, 2025:
The Wall Street Journal has published new details about the partnership between OpenAI and Jony Ive on upcoming AI hardware. According to an internal audio recording obtained by the Journal, Sam Altman told employees that the $6.5 billion deal could boost OpenAI's enterprise value by $1 trillion.
The device isn't meant to be a smartphone or smart glasses. Instead, it's meant to launch a completely new category—hardware that's deeply integrated with AI software. The concept is for the device to understand the user's life and environment, remain portable and discreet, and act as a central way to interact with OpenAI models. Altman described it as a "third core device" alongside the MacBook Pro and iPhone.
Altman also said the project would involve a "family of devices," highlighting his admiration for Apple's approach to tightly integrating hardware and software. Ive called it a "new design movement." Previous reports suggested the hardware could act as an AI assistant, similar to the technology imagined in the sci-fi film "Her."
The long-term goal is to ship 100 million of these devices—faster than any company has ever brought a new product of this scale to market. The first release is scheduled for the end of next year.
Original article from May 21, 2025:
OpenAI and Jony Ive's io unite to "completely reimagine" how people interact with computers
OpenAI is teaming up with io, the AI hardware startup led by former Apple designer Jony Ive, to "completely reimagine" how people interact with computers. The two companies have been quietly working together since 2023, but the partnership is now official. Their first product is expected to launch in 2026 and will likely focus on language-based interaction with AI agents.
Ive founded io in 2024 with several former Apple colleagues, including Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan. His design studio, LoveFrom, will lead design efforts for both io and OpenAI under the new partnership. Looking ahead, both teams plan to work more closely together in San Francisco.
