OpenAI has formally closed its nearly $6.5 billion acquisition of io, the {hardware} startup co-founded by famed former Apple designer Jony Ive, the corporate introduced Wednesday. However it was cautious to solely seek advice from the startup as io Merchandise Inc.
The weblog submit initially saying the acquisition was additionally scrubbed from OpenAI’s web site attributable to a trademark lawsuit from Iyo, the listening to machine startup spun out of Google’s moonshot manufacturing facility.
Now it’s again up, with a brand new observe: “We’re thrilled to share that the io Merchandise, Inc. group has formally merged with OpenAI. Jony Ive and LoveFrom stay impartial and have assumed deep design and inventive tasks throughout OpenAI.”
OpenAI initially introduced the deal and plans to create devoted AI {hardware}, with a video on social media that includes its CEO, Sam Altman, and Ive. That video has been scrubbed from its web site and social media channels as a result of lawsuit and has not returned. “The io group, targeted on creating merchandise that encourage, empower and allow, will now merge with OpenAI to work extra intimately with the analysis, engineering and product groups in San Francisco,” the weblog submit states.