OpenAI has accomplished its acquisition of io Merchandise, the AI {hardware} design agency led by former Apple designer Jony Ive.
In Might, Sam Altman and Jony Ive launched a video saying the upcoming partnership between Ive’s AI startup, “io” and Altman’s OpenAI. Whereas the video was ultimately eliminated when Ive’s firm identify was challenged, the deal nonetheless continued, to the tune of
Now, on July 9, the Sam & Jony web page on OpenAI has been up to date to replicate the brand new partnership. It reads:
“We’re thrilled to share that the io Merchandise, Inc. staff has formally merged with OpenAI. Jony Ive and LoveFrom stay unbiased and have assumed deep design and inventive obligations throughout OpenAI.”
From Apple to synthetic intelligence
Whereas Ive and io could also be cuddling as much as Altman’s OpenAI, he beforehand had a virtually three-decade tenure at Apple. He solely considerably just lately departed the Cupertino tech big in 2019 to discovered his personal design firm, LoveFrom.
Ive has since employed many ex-Apple employees, together with his personal substitute, Evans Hankey. Ive additionally employed ex-Apple design lead Tang Tan particularly to work on the AI startup collaboration with Sam Altman.
Initially, it was reported that OpenAI would purchase Jony Ive’s AI startup, merely named “io”, for $500 million. To say that the precise sale value was a bit increased can be an understatement.
The ultimate sale worth wound up being almost $6.5 billion — in inventory.
The pair, for his or her half, believes that they’ll change the way in which people interface with expertise. Whereas it isn’t totally clear how they’ll do it, it looks as if they’ve hopes of making a brand new system.
Some speculate that the system might, successfully, be a telephone with out a display screen. Even when it is not, it’s clear that the system can be a voice assistant before everything.
Hopefully, the pair has higher luck than Humane, whose AI Pin was poorly obtained, and the corporate has since gone below.
