On May 21 (local time), Bloomberg and other outlets reported that OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, will acquire 'io', the artificial intelligence (AI) device startup founded by Jony Ive, the designer of Apple's iPhone.
According to Bloomberg, OpenAI has agreed to acquire the startup io in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion (approximately 8.9 trillion won), making it the largest acquisition in OpenAI's history. The transaction is expected to be completed this summer, pending regulatory approval.
Through the acquisition of io, OpenAI will gain a team of about 55 hardware engineers, software developers, and production specialists. OpenAI plans to establish a dedicated division within the company for the development of AI-based devices and accelerate its efforts in related device development.
Jony Ive, a British industrial designer, previously worked closely with Apple founder Steve Jobs for several years, leading the development of devices such as the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Apple Watch, before leaving Apple in 2019. Afterward, Ive co-founded the startup io with former Apple colleagues Scott Cannon and Evans Hankey, with the goal of developing products for the era of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
In an interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Ive stated, "I increasingly feel that everything I have learned over the past 30 years has led me to this place, to this moment," adding, "We will create (new) products based on this relationship and collaborative approach."
CEO Altman said that through his collaboration with Ive, "We will create consumer hardware products with a level of quality that has never existed before." He added, "Just as smartphones did not make laptops disappear, I do not think our first product will make smartphones disappear," emphasizing, "It (our new product) is something entirely new."
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