Paul Meade, the Apple vice president in charge of the Vision Pro headset and the company's smart glasses efforts, is leaving to join OpenAI's hardware team, according to TechCrunch.
The news was first reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who, citing sources, said Apple's top executive overseeing Vision Pro and smart glasses is departing to work on OpenAI's AI-powered devices. The reports describe Meade as joining OpenAI's hardware division.
The timing matters because of who else has already crossed over. As PCMag notes, the move comes after Jony Ive, Apple's most high-profile designer, joined OpenAI last year ahead of the AI company's planned push into the hardware space.
That backdrop is what gives the hire its weight. OpenAI built its reputation on software — chatbots and AI models — but it has signaled ambitions to build physical devices. Recruiting the executive responsible for one of Apple's most advanced hardware bets, alongside a designer of Ive's stature, suggests OpenAI is assembling a team with deep experience shipping real-world consumer electronics.
As Yellow.com frames it, the departure raises the stakes in AI devices, pitting a software-first AI leader against the company widely seen as the gold standard in consumer hardware.
For Apple, losing the leader of both its Vision Pro and smart glasses programs is a notable talent setback in two product categories it is still trying to establish. The reports characterize the news as a departure that is still developing.
Why it matters: the race to define the next generation of AI gadgets is increasingly being fought over talent, and OpenAI is now pulling key hardware leaders directly out of Apple.