Jony Ive is building AI gadgets for OpenAI—a wearable, smart speaker, and even a robot

Jony Ive, the design legend behind Apple’s most iconic products, is now working with OpenAI. After acquiring Ive’s startup “io” in a massive $6.5 billion deal, OpenAI has pulled the curtain back just a little on what Ive is building. According to Bloomberg, it’s not just one AI gadget—it’s a whole AI hardware lineup.

In his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman noted that Ive is already shaping a range of experimental AI devices under OpenAI’s roof. One standout concept is a wearable—something like a pendant—that you’d wear around your neck. This thing won’t look like a phone, but it may end up replacing one. It’s reportedly built to let you interact with ChatGPT on the go, using just your voice.

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Another is a home assistant-style device, designed to sit on a table like a smart speaker. But instead of just reading the weather, it would tap directly into ChatGPT’s capabilities—maybe even with more personality than your typical AI speaker.

Then, there’s the most sci-fi project of all: a robot. Still very much in the early stages, this thing is supposed to form an emotional relationship with its user. Think of it less as a robo vacuum and much more as an AI companion.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Ive the “best designer in the world” when announcing the acquisition. Apple execs like Eddy Cue are already predicting a post-iPhone future, and OpenAI’s hardware ambitions might be arriving right on time.