Overview

• OpenAI agreed to purchase Jony Ive’s hardware startup IO for about $6.5 billion in May, folding his design team into its development arm.
• The device under development is expected to be a screenless, wearable AI companion launching in late 2026 as a ‘third core device’ alongside phones and laptops.
• Ive and CEO Sam Altman describe the project as driven by a belief that “humanity deserves better,” seeking to address unintended harms linked to current technology use.
• Laurene Powell Jobs has provided critical investment through Emerson Collective and support for Ive’s LoveFrom firm while maintaining her relationship with Apple’s leadership.
• The collaboration signals OpenAI’s strategic expansion into custom hardware and reflects Ive’s renewed optimism about technology serving human needs.