OpenAI Accelerates Device Plan With AI Camera Tech Acquisition

OpenAI Accelerates Device Plan With AI Camera Tech Acquisition --> By PYMNTS | September 14, 2026 Share: --> | Listen to Article Listen --> OpenAI has acquired Glass Imaging , a startup founded by former Apple employees that is developing artificial intelligence-enhanced cameras for smartphones, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday (Sept. 14), citing unnamed sources. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. yes Subscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today. By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions . Δ Glass Imaging is working on AI technology that enables smartphone cameras to produce image quality similar to that of DLSR cameras, according to the report. OpenAI’s acquisition valued Glass Imaging at $300 million, up from the valuation of $100 million it achieved in a funding round in 2025, the report said. Neither OpenAI nor Glass Imaging immediately replied to PYMNTS’ request for comment. OpenAI’s plans for Glass Imaging are unclear, though the firm has been developing a device with former Apple executive Jony Ive , per the report. We’d love to be your preferred source for news . Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks! Add as Preferred Source Glass Imaging was founded in 2019 by former Apple employees Ziv Attar and Tom Bishop , according to the report. When Glass Imaging announced in May that it raised $20 million in a Series A funding round to expand AI imaging technologies, the company said in a press release that it aimed to continue to refine and implement its proprietary GlassAI technologies across a wide range of camera platforms. “GlassAI can unlock the full potential of all cameras to deliver stunning ultra-detailed results and razor-sharp imagery,” Attar said at the time in a press release. “The range of use cases and opportunities across industry verticals are huge.” Bishop said in the release: “Our advanced image restoration networks go beyond what is possible on other solutions: swiftly correcting optical aberrations and sensor imperfections while efficiently reducing noise, delivering fine texture and real image content recovery that outperforms traditional ISP [image signal processing] pipelines.” Glass Imaging said its Series A followed a 2024 extended seed funding round in which it raised $9.3 million, and a 2021 seed round. It was reported Aug. 6 that OpenAI’s first device will be a portable smart speaker that will be designed to be easy to carry around in the home, to have a personality as it interacts with the user and to set it apart from smart speakers currently offered by Apple and Google. The device will be equipped with a camera and other sensors to inform the AI about the environment, per the August report. For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter . Recommended Apple Bets on Siri AI to Win the Personal Assistant War Paymentus Scales Bill Payment Platform Across Additional Sectors Mastercard CFO Outlines Growth Strategy Driven by Stablecoins and Value-Added Services Shopify Says AI Search Boosts Conversions by 80% See More In: acquisitions , AI , B2B , B2B Payments , News , OpenAI , PYMNTS News , Smartphones , What's Hot , What's Hot In B2B