OpenAI acquired io Products, the hardware startup founded by legendary designer Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion in May 2025. Apple has filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of trade secret theft, alleging the company stole confidential information about its supply chain and unreleased hardware products. OpenAI’s device, expected as early as next year, would be a home device capable of movement and mimicking human behavior. OpenAI’s hardware division now has over 400 employees, including former Apple executives named in the lawsuit. Analysts believe the litigation is more likely to slow, compartmentalize, and reshape OpenAI’s hardware project rather than kill it outright.
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