OpenAI Pauses 'io' Branding Amid iyO Dispute

OpenAI has removed all online references, including promotional videos and announcement pages, to its $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive's AI hardware startup 'io' following a court order in a trademark dispute with iyO, a hearing device company spun out of Alphabet's X lab. The lawsuit from iyO alleges that OpenAI's use of the 'io' name could confuse consumers since both companies are developing AI-powered hardware. Judge Trina L. Thompson issued a temporary restraining order, requiring OpenAI to pause all branding and marketing activities for the venture until the legal issue is resolved. Despite this, OpenAI and Jony Ive have confirmed that the acquisition is still proceeding. OpenAI plans to merge io’s team with its own and continue developing new AI-powered devices under Ive’s creative direction. The acquisition remains OpenAI’s largest and signals its significant push into hardware.