‘Worst email I’ve ever received’: Jason Rugolo, founder of hardware startup suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI hits back at CEO Sam Altman

Jason Rugolo, founder of hardware startup Iyo, has responded sharply to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman amid an ongoing trademark lawsuit over the name “io.” Rugolo accused Altman of acting in bad faith after OpenAI announced a hardware venture with Apple’s former chief designer Jony Ive, using a name similar to Rugolo’s company. He goes on to say that the reply he received from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was “the worst email I’ve ever received in my professional life.” The comment comes as the two are locked in a legal fight over OpenAI’s use of the name “io” for its AI hardware project with Apple’s former design head Jony Ive.