In Summary. Posted:. 1:44 PM PDT · September 14, 2026. According to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI has acquired smartphone camera manufacturer Glass Imaging for over $300 million, as reported. Founded in 2019 and located in Los Altos, California, the firm had previously secured around $30 million in investments. Glass Imaging was established by Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop, who were formerly Apple engineers and were responsible for leading the team that created Apple’s Portrait Mode. Glass Imaging employs AI technology to address the limitations posed by the physical dimensions of smartphone camera lenses, an issue they are well-acquainted with due to their prior experience. In contrast to editing photos with AI post-capture, Glass Imaging employs neural networks to understand specific camera systems, such as those found in various smartphone models, resulting in improved images right when the photo is taken. OpenAI has not yet provided a response to a query for comment. It is speculated that the creator of ChatGPT is developing its own line of devices, such as phones, earphones, and AI assistant gadgets. In 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and renowned Apple designer Jony Ive disclosed their collaboration on a device startup named io, which led to OpenAI acquiring Ive’s company for $6.5 billion.
