In May, OpenAI acquired Jony Ive's startup, io, a part of his creative design company, LoveFrom. This startup has been developing a secretive hardware product, and new rumors are starting to emerge about its nature.
The product in question is a pen; however, it is expected to be far from ordinary. Previous reports have characterized it as 'contextually aware,' and considering io's integration with OpenAI, it is anticipated to be an AI-powered pen. Its specific functionalities remain speculative at this point.
This AI pen will mark the first of several hardware initiatives from OpenAI, with two additional products in the pipeline, one of which is believed to be a portable audio device.
Currently, details regarding these products are limited, but reports indicate that the pen will potentially be manufactured by Foxconn, possibly in Vietnam. Initially, Luxshare was chosen as the manufacturer, but OpenAI opted for a different location to avoid production in China. Interestingly, there is even a small possibility that production could occur in the USA.
The acquisition of io cost OpenAI $6.5 billion; however, it was an all-stock deal, meaning no cash was exchanged. These hardware products are intended to act as a 'third core' device, complementing existing laptops and smartphones. Previous attempts to introduce similar 'third devices,' including AI 'pins,' have faced challenges, so it remains to be seen if OpenAI will succeed in this endeavor. We will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
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