OpenAI and Jony Ive: The $6.5 billion design deal shaking up tech
In a strange wedding-style announcement, this partnership hints at a sleek desk device, a San Francisco real estate play, and a new vision for AI interaction.
OpenAI's announcement yesterday was one of the strangest I've seen from a tech giant. Not because of the announcement itself, but how it was done.
It wasn’t a typical press release or embargoed news story in a major publication. Instead, a new webpage suddenly appeared and started making its way around social, and it looked more like a save-the-date invite or baby announcement than a multibillion-dollar deal. People online joked about how weird it was to see OpenAI roll out a major strategic deal in this style. And honestly, the odd format almost stole the spotlight from the news itself (though I’m sure many argue it helped spread the news more).
So what's the actual story? OpenAI is acquiring io, a hardware startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and several former Apple engineers — Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan. This isn't Ive joining OpenAI as an employee, nor is his design firm LoveFrom folding into the company. LoveFrom remains independent but will "take over design for all of OpenAI, including its software" in a deal valued at nearly $6.5 billion.
Even putting hyperbolics aside, that's massive (though it’s still just all money on paper). It shows OpenAI's serious intent to make design and hardware a core part of its AI experience. After all, building powerful AI models is one thing — making it feel intuitive, elegant, and human is another. And few in recent history have a better track record at that than Ive.
But what exactly is coming?
Not glasses or a wearable. Maybe a desk assistant?
Sam Altman was clear: it won't be "glasses.” Meanwhile, Ive said he wasn't interested in making a device you'd put on your body. Instead, he described something "a person would put on their desk" alongside a laptop or phone.
That immediately made me think of something like the ReMarkable, so a digital journal or creative surface that's less about physical pen and paper and more about focused, elegant interaction. Could this be OpenAI's take on a distraction-free, AI-powered creative tool? A companion device that bridges hardware, software, and design without being yet another screen? It could take notes during meetings, answer questions, and the like. There is also talk of it being “pocketable,” so don’t just picture a notepad but perhaps an always-on AI assistant replacing the functionality of a journal and more. If that sounds like Humane’s AI pin, you’re probably right.
What's also interesting to me is that Ive’s LoveFrom has been acquiring real estate on a San Francisco city block by Jackson Square, which hints at ambitions beyond just a gadget. The city, which has been struggling since the pandemic, was prominent in the accompanying 10-minute video that was included alongside the larger announcement.
Maybe this is about creating a physical space — a smart, design-forward "home" for this new tech, or even a small-scale smart city experiment? I wonder if OpenAI and Ive see themselves as not just launching a product but reshaping how physical space and digital tools work together, while also being the saviors of a post-pandemic downtrodden San Francisco.
Betting on Ive despite recency bias
Ive's reputation makes this all the more intriguing. Once hailed as the design god of the Steve Jobs era, he's lost some shine lately. The Verge's recent take called him "an asshole obsessed with sleekness," which reflects frustration over projects like Apple Park and the Vision Pro headset. He's been off the radar for a while, and it's unclear whether the design world or the public still embraces his vision.
So, OpenAI's bet here is bold: they're entrusting a figure whose star has slightly dimmed to help humanize and shape the next era of AI (in their eyes). The deal is significant, and the stakes are high.
It's easy to get caught up in speculation. Again, will this be a ReMarkable-style desk companion? A new AI-enhanced device? Or something more radical tied to real estate and urban design? The truth is, obviously, we don't know yet. But the emphasis on design signals OpenAI understands that for AI to truly matter, it has to feel seamless, natural, and, yes, even “beautiful.”
I'm intrigued, cautious, and ready to see what this weird wedding of AI and design actually births. OpenAI says we’ll see the product in 2026. Whatever it is, it'll reshape expectations about how we interact with AI — and maybe, just maybe, how we inhabit our spaces.