In a visionary leap forward, OpenAI and legendary designer Jony Ive have announced the formation of a new venture named io, created to transform how people experience artificial intelligence through elegant, human-centered design. Revealed on May 21, 2025, the partnership represents the merger of OpenAI’s cutting-edge technology with the iconic design language of Jony Ive and his collective, LoveFrom.
The project began quietly two years ago, as Ive and his team at LoveFrom began collaborating with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. What started as a friendship and shared curiosity evolved into a deeply ambitious effort. According to OpenAI, their early design prototypes were filled with optimism, wonder, and a desire to create tools that enhance creativity and learning—much like the first personal computers once did.
Recognizing the scale of their shared ambitions, Ive officially founded io one year ago alongside Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey, and Tang Tan. The goal was to gather the world’s best talent in hardware, software, product design, physics, and engineering to build something that could only be realized through a new kind of company. Now, io is merging with OpenAI to bring that vision to life more closely and cohesively.
As part of this integration, the io team will join OpenAI’s research and product divisions in San Francisco. Jony Ive and LoveFrom will take on major creative and design responsibilities across both OpenAI and io, guiding the development of future AI-integrated devices.
“AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world,” said Sam Altman, as quoted by OpenAI. “No one can do this like Jony and his team; the amount of care they put into every aspect of the process is extraordinary.”
Ive reflected on the personal and professional meaning of this new chapter: “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment. While I am both anxious and excited about the responsibility of the substantial work ahead, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an important collaboration.”
The announcement signals more than the launch of a new product line—it introduces a new philosophy of AI hardware design rooted in beauty, usability, and human delight. By combining OpenAI’s trailblazing research with Ive’s legacy of creating iconic, intuitive technology, io is positioned to redefine the relationship between humans and machines.
To learn more, visit the official announcement from OpenAI here: Sam & Jony introduce io.
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