OpenAI’s Upcoming AI Device Will Not Be Wearable, According to Legal Documents

Recent legal filings reveal that OpenAI and Jony Ive’s design team, io, are collaborating on a consumer AI device, with a planned launch no earlier than 2026. The prototype, referenced by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is still over a year away from sale and will not be an in-ear or wearable device. Tang Tan, io’s chief hardware officer, noted that the design is not finalized yet. OpenAI recently acquired io for $6.5 billion, but had to remove public mentions of the io brand due to a trademark dispute with an audio startup named Iyo. Legal documents indicate that OpenAI and io were aware of Iyo’s competing “audio computer” and had conducted extensive research into in-ear devices, having purchased over 30 headphone models for evaluation. Altman described the prototype as a pocket-sized or desk-friendly device capable of understanding its environment, confirming that multiple form factors are under consideration.

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