OpenAI to acquire iPhone designer Jony Ive’s AI device startup in its largest-ever $6.5 billion deal

OpenAI is set to acquire "io," an AI device startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a landmark deal valued at approximately $6.5 billion. This all-stock acquisition, OpenAI's largest to date, signifies its ambitious expansion beyond software into consumer hardware. Ive, renowned for designing iconic Apple products like the iPhone, will assume critical design and creative responsibilities across both OpenAI and io. The collaboration, which has been quietly developing for two years, aims to merge cutting-edge AI with world-class design to create a "new family of devices." Both OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Ive believe existing devices are not optimized for AI, envisioning intuitive, human-centric AI experiences through tangible products.