Overview

• The $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s io remains intact and the design team has merged with OpenAI’s San Francisco research unit.
• A June trademark complaint from iyO, a Google X–spun hearing-device startup, prompted removal of all io mentions from OpenAI’s website and social channels.
• Ive’s spokesperson called the lawsuit “utterly baseless” and both parties are preparing to contest the complaint in court.
• OpenAI and Ive are developing a screenless, voice-activated AI “companion” device targeted for a 2026 debut.
• The partners have set an internal goal to produce approximately 100 million units to integrate the AI hardware into everyday life.