By Maxwell Zeff
Publication Date: 2026-02-10 05:45:00
OpenAI won’t do that The company is using the name “io” for its upcoming line of AI hardware devices, according to a court filing on Monday.
The filing is part of a trademark infringement lawsuit filed last year by audio device startup iyO, which sued OpenAI after it acquired famed Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup io. Peter Welinder, vice president and general manager of OpenAI, said in the filing that OpenAI has reviewed its product naming strategy and “decided not to use the name ‘io’ (or ‘IYO’ or a capitalization of both) in connection with the naming, advertising, marketing or selling of artificial intelligence hardware products.”
Welinder also said that OpenAI now has a better understanding of the timeline for bringing its devices to market. In the filing, the company said its first hardware device would not ship to customers until the end of February 2027.
Previously, OpenAI said it planned to unveil its AI device in the second half of 2026.
