OpenAI Reportedly Buys Glass Imaging for Over $300 Million
OpenAI reportedly bought Glass Imaging for over $300 million, adding AI camera expertise as Sam Altman and Jony Ive pursue new consumer hardware devices.
Summary
OpenAI reportedly acquired Glass Imaging for more than $300 million on September 14, 2026. Founded in 2019 by former Apple engineers Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, the Los Altos, California company had raised about $30 million. Attar and Bishop previously led development of Apple’s Portrait Mode.
Glass Imaging trains neural networks on individual camera systems, including those in different smartphone models, to overcome phones’ physical camera constraints and improve images as the shutter clicks rather than through later editing. OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, did not immediately comment. The purchase aligns with rumors that OpenAI is developing smartphones, earbuds and AI companion devices. In 2025, CEO Sam Altman and Apple designer Jony Ive disclosed their work on device startup io as OpenAI bought Ive’s company for $6.5 billion.
Positives
- More than $300 million brings OpenAI a specialist in AI-assisted smartphone photography.
- Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop add experience leading Apple’s Portrait Mode development team.
- Glass Imaging improves photographs at capture instead of relying on editing after the shutter clicks.
- About $30 million in prior funding helped Glass Imaging develop neural networks tailored to individual camera systems.
- Glass Imaging’s technology could support OpenAI’s rumored smartphones, earbuds and AI companion devices.
Risks & concerns
- OpenAI did not immediately confirm or comment on the reported acquisition.
- OpenAI’s smartphone, earbud and AI companion plans remain rumored, with no product roadmap disclosed.
- Details remain limited about Glass Imaging’s integration, employee roles or which OpenAI products may use its technology.