Sam Altman and Jony Ive Launch io to Build Devices for AI Era

Jony Ive, former Apple design chief, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have announced the formation of a new company, io, focused on building hardware products around artificial intelligence. 

The announcement marks the next phase of a two-year collaboration between Ive’s design firm LoveFrom and OpenAI, which began as a private exploration and has now culminated in a formal merger.

OpenAI will acquire Ive’s startup in a nearly $6.5 billion all-stock deal, reported Bloomberg. The purchase, OpenAI’s largest to date, gives the company a dedicated unit focused on developing AI-powered devices.

The io team, led by Ive alongside  Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey and Tang Tan, includes engineers, technologists, physicists and product development experts, many of whom have worked together for decades.

Jony Ive left Apple in 2019 after serving as its longtime chief design officer to launch his own design firm, LoveFrom. The company was formed a year ago to develop new types of computing products that move beyond traditional interfaces.

“Computers are now seeing, thinking and understanding,” Altman and Ive said in a joint statement. “Despite this unprecedented capability, our experience remains shaped by traditional products and interfaces.”

With io now merging into OpenAI, the combined teams aim to develop integrated AI hardware and software systems. Jony Ive and LoveFrom will assume creative and design leadership roles across both io and OpenAI.

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

The collaboration stems from shared values and long-standing relationships. Ive said the work reminded him of early years in Silicon Valley.

“I am reminded of a time, three decades ago, when I emigrated to America,” he said. “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.”

During his tenure at Apple, Ive played a key role in shaping some of the company’s most recognisable products, including the iPhone, iPod, iPad and MacBook Air. He also contributed to the design of Apple Park, the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, which opened in 2019 after years of planning that began in 2004.

Reflecting on the journey so far, Ive added, “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment. While I am both anxious and excited about the responsibility of the substantial work ahead, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an important collaboration.”

OpenAI and io have not disclosed specific product plans, but said their work is centred on building tools that support learning, creativity and exploration.