OpenAI Explores Acquisition of AI Hardware Startup Linked to CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI is reportedly considering a $500 million acquisition of io Products, a startup developing AI-powered personal devices in collaboration with Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive. According to The Information, the potential deal would include a team of engineers behind early concepts such as a screenless “phone” and AI-enabled household devices — still in the design phase.

The move would mark OpenAI’s push deeper into consumer AI hardware, potentially challenging Apple, a key partner. It also follows Altman and Ive’s 2023 effort to reimagine personal computing through AI. The report suggests this acquisition aligns with OpenAI’s broader ambitions, which now span from AI software and chips to robotics and direct consumer interfaces.