Latest news with #Jony
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘My curiosity genes were on full blast': NI-born tech boss on day she was offered executive role at ChatGPT firm
Tyrone-born tech boss talks about AI being used in education, but is coy on new Jony Ive gadget Sitting across from Ireland's most senior female global tech executive, my first question is the same one that has the tech world guessing: what is the new Jony Ive gadget that OpenAI just spent $6.5bn acquiring? 'I can't tell you about the device because Jony would actually murder me,' says Tyrone-born Sarah Friar of the legendary Ive, who was Steve Jobs's design lead on so many iconic Apple devices.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘My curiosity genes were on full blast' – OpenAI's Sarah Friar on the day she was offered executive role at ChatGPT firm
Tyrone-born tech boss talks about AI being used in education, but is coy on new Jony Ive gadget Sitting across from Ireland's most senior female global tech executive, my first question is the same one that has the tech world guessing: what is the new Jony Ive gadget that OpenAI just spent $6.5bn acquiring? 'I can't tell you about the device because Jony would actually murder me,' says Tyrone-born Sarah Friar of the legendary Ive, who was Steve Jobs's design lead on so many iconic Apple devices.
Mint
22-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
OpenAI's biggest acquisitions before it took over Jony Ive's io: Details
OpenAI yesterday announced that it is acquiring io, Jony Ive's startup, in a deal that is worth $6.5 billion. This will bring on Jony, who designed some of the most popular Apple products, as the creative head of OpenAI to create devices for the generative AI arena. Having said that, it is interesting to note that Ive's isn't the only acquisition that OpenAI has made so far. In fact, OpenAI has reportedly acquired several other companies over the years; here are the details. OpenAI acquired a company called Windsurf, formerly known as Codieum, for $3 billion earlier this month in May 2025. VentureBeat reported that OpenAI needed to arm the developer ecosystem with superior coding capabilities and also become the primary interface that deals with AI agents. In June 2024, Sam Altman-led OpenAI did acquire Rockset, which was founded by Indian-origin founders. 'We will integrate Rockset's technology to power our retrieval infrastructure across products, and members of Rockset's world-class team will join OpenAI,' OpenAI said in June 2024, post the acquisiton. OpenAI acquired Global Illumination in August 2023. While the value of the deal is undisclosed, it is worth noting that this startup was founded by ex-Instagram employees. This brought a lot of experience in product building to the company. OpenAI acquired Multi in 2024. Multi, a startup based out of New York City, reportedly focuses on screen share and collaboration tech, especially for workers who are using Macs, as per VentureBeat. 'Recently, we've been increasingly asking ourselves how we should work with computers. Not on or using computers, but truly with computers. With AI. We believe it's one of the most important product questions of our time,' Multi said. It added, 'And so, we're beyond excited to share that Multi is joining OpenAI!'
Hypebeast
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hypebeast
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive's AI Device Company, io for $6.5 Billion USD
Summary OpenAIhas announced its acquisition of io, theAIhardware startup founded by formerAppledesign chiefJony Ive. OpenAI CEOSam Altmanstruck a landmark $6.5 billion USD all-stock deal, marking this OpenAI's largest acquisition to date and a significant move into the consumer hardware market. The company previously saw OpenAI own a 23% minority stake in io. Ive, who founded the company last year, is best known for his extensive work at Apple Inc. where he served as Chief Design Officer until his departure in 2019. He was a pivotal figure in the design of many of Apple's most iconic products, including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook and the Apple Watch. io was founded last year by Ive and this acquisition will see the company merge its team of 55 engineers, designers and researches who are ''focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable' with OpenAI 'to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco.' OpenAi also said in the announcement that a collaboration between Ive and the creative collective LoveFrom and Altman began two years ago. It said, 'A collaboration built upon friendship, curiosity and shared values quickly grew in ambition. Tentative ideas and explorations evolved into tangible designs.' The statement continues, 'As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io.' The scope of OpenAi's plans post-acquisition are closely kept under wraps,Wall Street Journalreported that the 'closely guarded project' on a new device 'will move consumers beyond screens' and see OpenAI and io 'considering options including headphones and other devices with cameras.' Altman said in a statement, 'AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design and understanding people and the world. No one can do this like Jony and his team; the amount of care they put into every aspect of the process is extraordinary.' Sam & Jony introduce — OpenAI (@OpenAI)May 21, 2025
India Today
22-05-2025
- India Today
An AI iPhone? Sam Altman and Jony Ive have joined hands, will they build something that Apple so far hasn't
It is happening. Sam [Altman] and Jony [Ive] are building the AI iPhone Apple didn't. For those unaware, Jony is the OG designer of some of the most iconic Apple products to have ever graced the face of the Earth, from the now ubiquitous iPhone to iPod and iPad. He left Apple in 2019 to build his own design company called LoveFrom and has since been involved in some high-profile - but mostly non-tech related - projects such as the limited-edition Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. His company also designed the coronation emblem for King Charles III. Sam heads OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed AI behemoth behind the viral chatbot co-founded io, another startup specifically to make AI hardware, in 2023 even as LoveFrom continues to do its own thing including - but not limited to - overseeing design at the new entity. On May 22, 2025, OpenAI announced that it is buying io for USD $6.5 billion (roughly Rs 55,692 crore). The ChatGPT-maker reportedly acquired a 23 percent stake in the company last year, and it is paying the remainder amount (about USD $5 billion) to fully acquire it now. It is learnt that Jony and LoveFrom will remain independent but take over the full design control for all what's cooking? The duo has been working on an unnamed and unspecified AI device for two years. The project isn't a secret, both Jony and Sam, have publicly acknowledged it. But the specifics of this new device are not known. Like, for instance, we don't know what it is or what it looks like or what it can do. OpenAI confirmed it is working on a family of devices in a blog post announcing the acquisition, but fell short of revealing product All the evidence suggests that the maiden device is not a phone in the conventional sense, but a companion piece that you – presumably – carry along with it. Jony has hinted in the past that he is not particularly fond of screens, so there is a possibility the device might not have it – what remains to be seen is, to what extent. Current solutions range from having no screens at all, like the Humane AI Pin, to giving some screen real estate like the Rabbit R1 – both failed miserably, though not just on account of display capabilities. The possibilities range from anything to everything for io and OpenAI, but it is certain that the acquisition should expedite things from the drawing board to the shipping excitement is palpable. The conversations have started to pick up steam. Some of it – like is often the case – has trickled and made its way online. Based on multiple reports, it seems OpenAI is very pumped up about the merger, with Sam reportedly calling it 'the chance to do the biggest thing we've ever done as a company here.' He is not wrong if he has said this. OpenAI is still a software company. It doesn't do hardware at all. That is a problem. Because it doesn't do its own hardware, it must rely on other rival companies to distribute its software. While that is okay, too, it is not okay in the long run and especially not if you're eying to become a USD $1 trillion late great Steve Jobs used to say, companies that want to make good software should make their own hardware. There is obviously the monetary aspect to that, but even more importantly, it cuts off any outside noise or distraction and makes you focus on the bigger goal, which is to leave a long-lasting impression on the customer and, invariably, the world. That is what Apple did, and it is still guided by some of the same principles. But despite its deep roots and engineering might, it has been unable to upend this new phenomenon called AI so can do it because it has already conquered the software front (reports indicate that ChatGPT has around 400-800 million weekly active users as of May 2025) and, every day, it keeps covering more ground. With former Apple design guru Jony Ive's backing and support, things are about to get very interesting. What they come up with might not be an iPhone 2.0 but if done right, it could be the modern-day iPhone moment that fans and pundits have been waiting for. The first device in the 'family' is expected to be rolled out sometime by late 2026. We'll see.
