A new lawsuit may hold clues to what Sam Altman and Jony Ive are cooking up

Sam Altman shocked the tech world in late May when his company, OpenAI, shelled out $6.5 billion in equity to acquire io, the one-year-old hardware design firm led by famed former Apple exec Jony Ive, designer of the iPhone.

And thanks to a trademark dispute lawsuit filed against the pair this month by iyO, a Google-backed hardware startup working to create an AI-powered in-ear headphone, we now have some information about the device Altman and Ive are cheffing up in the lab.

Io, iyO, off to court we go

In its suit, iyO argues OpenAI and io executives have been deeply researching in-ear hardware devices, and has submitted emails showing that it was in communication with leaders from the two companies, including Altman, some of whom even demo'd their product.

But…OpenAI says it disagrees with the complaint and is reviewing its options. Two io execs also made declarations to the court swearing that the first device they plan to release won’t be an “in-ear device” or a “wearable.”

So, what could it be? At a meeting in May, Altman and Ive told OpenAI staff to expect a smartphone- and- computer- complementary AI “companion” that could sit unobtrusively in your pocket or on your desk and be completely aware of what’s going on in your life, the Wall Street Journal reported—leading many speculate the device could end up looking something like a circular, hockey-puck, or even nail clippers or a vape.