OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has put a highlight on personal conversations main as much as a rival firm suing OpenAI over its upcoming system, io. On Tuesday, Altman posted screenshots of emails on X exhibiting messages between him and Jason Rugolo, the founding father of the Iyo listening to system startup that’s suing OpenAI. The emails present a principally pleasant trade the place Rugolo asks Altman for his help as Altman discloses a competing system.
“I’d love the chance to pitch you to take a position $10MM in my AI-meets-audio {hardware} firm, iyO,” Rugolo wrote in a March 4th message. “We’re launching the very best {hardware} interface to work together with AI-agents, after having obsessively centered on this downside since 2018.”
Altman declined the provide as a result of he was “engaged on one thing aggressive.” Then, Rugolo adopted up by asking whether or not OpenAI want to work with him, to which Altman replied he’d should ask former Apple designer Jony Ive, who he stated was “driving” the launch. OpenAI bought Ive’s AI {hardware} firm for nearly $6.5 billion final month.
The following emails occurred in Might, with Rugolo highlighting a few of the fixes Iyo made for a few of the “fails” that occurred throughout a demo proven to the OpenAI group. On Might twenty third, days after OpenAI announced its purchase of io — a reputation much like Rugolo’s startup — Rugolo despatched Altman one other electronic mail. “I’m getting blown up on the names state of affairs,” Rugolo stated. “I wished to stage with you right here, I’m feeling just a little weak and uncovered, david and goliath type. i simply wished to listen to from you instantly, are you critical and optimistic about doubtlessly bringing us in?”
In a Might twenty third electronic mail, Peter Welinder, OpenAI’s VP of product, advised Altman that he doesn’t “assume there’s a match,” including that “Their system [Iyo’s] could be very orthogonal to ours and doesn’t actually work but.”
On June twenty second, OpenAI immediately scrubbed the “io” branding from its web site, later revealing that it was forced to make the change on account of a short lived restraining order granted as a part of Iyo’s trademark lawsuit, which was filed on June 9th. OpenAI’s hardware team testified that the io’s {hardware} isn’t “an in-ear system, nor a wearable.”
Within the lawsuit, Iyo alleges OpenAI knew concerning the startup and its expertise earlier than launching io, citing conferences with Altman’s funding agency and Ive’s LoveFrom design firm in 2022. Iyo additionally claims it shared details about its upcoming system when making an attempt to recruit former Apple designer Evans Hankey, who went on to co-found io.
“Jason rugolo had been hoping we’d put money into or purchase his firm iyo and was fairly persistent in his efforts,” Altman wrote in his publish on X. “We handed and have been clear alongside the best way. now he’s suing openai over the title. that is foolish, disappointing and improper.”
Altman’s technique of litigating within the courtroom of public opinion echoes OpenAI’s method to a lawsuit with Elon Musk, which the corporate has fought partly by dropping email exchanges supporting its aspect of the story. Musk has made similar moves in court documents.
Rugolo responded to Altman’s publish on X, saying that he didn’t need to “struggle” in public. “Actually simply assume it’s tremendous unhealthy type for somebody such as you to be coming after me like this,” Rugolo posted. “I’m wanting ahead to competing with you pretty on product; you simply can’t use our title. In another reply, Rugolo expanded on his relationship with Altman previous to the 2025 emails.
“When an investor you pitched all the pieces to, particularly such a robust one, tells you they’re now doing one thing aggressive… it’s only a horrible feeling,” Rugolo wrote. “the second he stated he had determined to do one thing aggressive, i ought to have instantly gotten clever… i acquired performed fairly laborious, gave them all the pieces.”
Although OpenAI presently can’t showcase the “io” branding, the corporate has stated that its cope with Ive continues to be taking place. OpenAI has asked the courtroom to dismiss the case, calling Iyo’s argument “unfounded” and “untimely.”