San Francisco-based OpenAI, the company behind the widely used ChatGPT large language model, has been moving faster than many expected into consumer hardware. The company has now hired more than 40 former Apple employees, which feels like a significant shift in its ambitions. This comes on the heels of OpenAI’s acquisition of io Products, a fairly secretive design startup co-founded by Jony Ive. And the more you look at this wave of hiring, the more it suggests OpenAI isn’t only experimenting. It’s preparing to build a real family of physical, AI-first devices. If all goes smoothly, the first product may appear sometime in late 2026 or early 2027.
Key Takeaways
- OpenAI has hired over 40 former Apple employees for its new hardware division in a short period.
- The division is developing a new family of AI-native consumer devices, possibly starting with a screenless smart speaker.
- This push follows the acquisition of io Products, a startup co-founded by Jony Ive.
- Top former Apple executives, including Evans Hankey and Tang Tan, are leading the hardware efforts alongside Ive.
- OpenAI is working with major Apple suppliers, like Luxshare, for manufacturing.
What stands out is the breadth of talent OpenAI pulled from Apple. The company has brought in people from camera engineering, iPhone and Mac hardware development, silicon design, systems architecture, and even device testing. Some teams at Apple have reportedly grown uneasy about how many experienced hands have walked out the door and directly into a potential competitor’s new division. It’s not often you see this level of movement in such a short time.
The foundation for OpenAI’s new direction really took shape after its May 2025 acquisition of io Products, a deal valued at roughly 6.5 billion dollars. Io Products had been co-founded by Jony Ive, Apple’s former Chief Design Officer and the person behind iconic products like the iPhone and iMac. His independent firm, LoveFrom, remains separate but continues to handle design and creative work on this AI hardware initiative. It’s an interesting setup that gives OpenAI access to Ive’s design sensibilities while keeping the studio’s identity intact.
Day-to-day development seems to be guided by Tang Tan, who oversees the io division within OpenAI. Tan spent 25 years at Apple working on the design and manufacturing of some of its major products, so his presence alone says a lot about the direction OpenAI wants to take. Alongside him are other notable Apple veterans, including Evans Hankey, the former head of industrial design who once worked closely with Ive. There’s also Cyrus Daniel Irani, long known for shaping the Siri interface, and Matt Theobald, who spent 17 years on Apple’s manufacturing design team. When you see names like these in one place, the intention becomes harder to ignore.
Altogether, this mix of design, engineering, and manufacturing experience shows that OpenAI wants to create devices that feel thoughtfully built and genuinely useful. The first project appears to be a screenless smart speaker, something somewhat reminiscent of Amazon’s Alexa devices. Except, in this case, it would probably be more conversational, more multimodal, and perhaps more seamlessly integrated with everyday habits. There are early explorations into smart glasses and even a small wearable pin, though those seem to be in earlier stages.
To support all this, OpenAI is also working directly with major players in Apple’s supply chain. Reports indicate a manufacturing agreement with Luxshare, a primary assembler of the iPhone. Another supplier, Goertek, known for contributing components to AirPods and HomePods, is believed to be involved as well, likely handling speaker modules for the first device.
The consumer products aren’t the only hardware focus. OpenAI has also confirmed a partnership with Foxconn, officially known as Hon Hai Technology Group. That collaboration is aimed at co-designing and manufacturing advanced hardware for AI data centers in the United States. Think racks, networking gear, and power systems built specifically for the needs of massive models like the GPT series. It’s a reminder that the future of AI isn’t just about sleek gadgets but also about the invisible infrastructure that keeps these systems running.
By bringing together this level of design talent, supply chain support, and manufacturing scale, OpenAI seems to be preparing for a broader shift in how people interact with AI. Instead of relying solely on screens, the company is trying to build devices that fit quietly into daily life and make AI feel less like a tool you access and more like something you naturally use. It’s still early, of course, and some details are bound to evolve, but the direction feels clearer than it did even a year ago.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is io Products, and why did OpenAI acquire it?
A: io Products is a hardware design startup co-founded by Jony Ive and Tang Tan. OpenAI acquired it for around $6.5 billion to gain a dedicated in-house hardware team and design expertise, helping it build a family of physical devices that will utilize its core AI models.
Q: Why is OpenAI focusing on its own hardware?
A: OpenAI wants to control the entire user experience, from the AI model (software) to the device (hardware). Building its own devices allows the company to integrate its AI deeply and create new ways for people to use generative AI, instead of being limited by existing devices like smartphones or PCs.
Q: Who are the key ex-Apple people now at OpenAI?
A: Key figures include Jony Ive (former Chief Design Officer at Apple), Tang Tan (former Apple hardware engineering executive, now leading the io division), and Evans Hankey (former Apple industrial design head). Over 40 former Apple employees have reportedly joined the project.
