- OpenAI and Jony Ive's io startup are not building an AI-powered earbud or a wearable, according to a court filing.
- In the ongoing trademark lawsuit filed by a Google-backed company named iyO, OpenAI says the prototype is in development and still a year away from release.
- As part of the market research, OpenAI and io executives met iyO's leadership to see the demonstration, but were not impressed with the product.
OpenAI announced a partnership with veteran iPhone designer Jony Ive last month and acquired Ive’s AI hardware startup, io, for $6.5 billion. However, this week, a trademark lawsuit by a Google-backed company named iyO forced OpenAI to temporarily remove all promotional materials related to the ‘io’ branding. Now, fresh filings in court have revealed key details about what OpenAI and Jony Ive are building.
According to TechCrunch, Tang Tan, who is io’s chief hardware officer, told the court that OpenAI’s future AI device “is not an in-ear device, nor a wearable device.” In addition, Tan said that the prototype is under development and the product is still a year away.
About a month ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI and Jony Ive are developing a pocket-sized AI device that can rest in one’s pocket or one’s desk, and it would be fully aware of “a user’s surroundings and life”. It would be a “third core device” that a person would use besides an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. The filing in court confirms that OpenAI is not developing an earbud or a wearable.
What is interesting is that these details surfaced in a trademark lawsuit filed by iyO against OpenAI. While iyO doesn’t formally accuse OpenAI of stealing trade secrets, the filings suggest that OpenAI and io may have drawn inspiration from private meetings with iyO executives. OpenAI and io executives met iyO’s CEO to see the demonstration, as part of the market research.
At one point, iyO’s CEO pitched to invest or acquire its company for $200 million, but OpenAI turned down the offer as the earpiece failed to work. Overall, OpenAI’s position is that it’s not developing a custom earpiece product and it doesn’t infringe on iyO’s trademark.
