OpenAI is acquiring io, the AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in an all-stock deal valued at roughly $6.5 billion. Ive and his design firm LoveFrom will take on creative and design leadership across OpenAI, with a first consumer device targeted for late 2026.
Why it matters
The deal is OpenAI's largest acquisition to date and signals a serious push into dedicated AI hardware, putting it on a collision course with Apple and Google in the post-smartphone device race.
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