OpenAI has enlisted Jony Ive, the renowned designer of Apple's iPhone, to spearhead a new hardware initiative focused on artificial intelligence. The San Francisco-based company is acquiring io, a product and engineering firm co-founded by Ive, in a deal valued at approximately $6.5 billion.
CEO Sam Altman revealed that he had been collaborating with Ive and his design firm, LoveFrom, since 2023. Ive, who spent over two decades at Apple, is celebrated for his contributions to the iconic designs of the iPhone, iMac, and iPad. He departed Apple in 2019 to establish his own design firm, LoveFrom.
In a joint statement, Ive and Altman explained that their shared ambition to create a new family of products necessitated the formation of an entirely new company. Ive's design collective, LoveFrom, will remain independent but will take on significant design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io. Ive will not become an OpenAI employee.