IO vs. IO: OpenAI, Google, and the Weirdest AI Hardware Lawsuit Yet
In this episode, Eli unpacks one of the most bizarre lawsuits in tech history: a Google-backed startup called IO is suing Johnny Ive and Sam Altman’s $6.5B OpenAI hardware venture—also called IO. What started as a bold acquisition is now a legal mess involving stolen names, sketchy meetings, and accusations of IP theft. Eli breaks down how this became a proxy war between OpenAI and Google, why Altman might have gone too far, and whether anyone actually wants a screenless voice-controlled AI computer in the first place.This one’s got trademarks, betrayal, and a whole lot of drama.