OpenAI has appointed Paul Meade, the head of Apple’s Vision Pro division.

      Paul Meade, the chief of Apple’s Vision Pro, is departing to develop devices at OpenAI. This marks the most significant departure from Apple yet, highlighting the ongoing competition for AI hardware talent aimed at Cupertino.

      Typically, Apple does not allow vice presidents to join competing firms. This unspoken rule has been upheld for years, with designers occasionally drifting to Jony Ive’s circle and a few executives moving to Meta, but the engineering backbone remained intact. However, on June 26, that norm was broken at the highest level.

      Paul Meade, who has been in charge of the Vision Pro headset and Apple’s smart glasses initiative, is set to join OpenAI. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman broke the story, which was subsequently confirmed by The Information and TechCrunch the following day. Both Apple and OpenAI refrained from commenting.

      According to Gurman, Meade will depart Apple by next week to take a position within OpenAI’s hardware division, where he will contribute to the company’s upcoming lineup of AI-enabled devices. Following the announcement, Apple shares saw a slight reduction in gains, trading up approximately 2%.

      This loss is significant due to Meade's standing. He became part of Apple in 2010, overseeing early iPad development before managing iPhone program management. He transitioned to the Vision Products Group in 2017 and has directed Vision Pro hardware engineering for the past seven years. His deputy, Fletcher Rothkopf, will assume substantial responsibilities in his absence.

      Reforming Apple’s old hardware leadership

      While one executive's departure is a personnel matter, the more revealing aspect is his new destination. At OpenAI, Meade reunites with former Apple associates Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey, who once led design and hardware at Apple. Their startup was acquired by OpenAI last year for $6.5 billion.

      Thus, OpenAI is not merely recruiting a senior engineer; it is reestablishing a version of Apple’s former hardware leadership within an AI research environment. The team is pursuing the same goal Meade sought at Apple: creating the next device post-smartphone. Altman has characterized OpenAI’s initial endeavor as being more tranquil and serene than an iPhone.

      Developing that device has proven challenging. Reports from last autumn indicated that Ive and OpenAI were still grappling with fundamental issues. Meade’s role is to transform an idea into a market-ready product, the exact task he undertook with the Vision Pro.

      A talent competition that Apple continues to lose

      While Meade may be the highest profile departure, he’s not the first. OpenAI has gradually been attracting engineers from Apple's hardware sector, and in December, Alan Dye, Apple’s human interface chief, left for Meta. This trend is becoming increasingly evident and consistently favors one direction.

      The timing seems intentional. Meade is part of a hardware organization that Johny Srouji, the new chief hardware officer, has recently reorganized. A number of vice presidents, including Meade, now find themselves at a lower level under a new manager, with some feeling they were demoted, as reported by Gurman. This shift came after John Ternus was promoted to run Apple as chief executive from September 1.

      The headset that struggled to take off

      Meade exits a product category in decline. The Vision Pro has not sold well, prompting Apple to quietly deprioritize enclosed headsets. A revamped model isn’t anticipated until 2028 or 2029. Instead, the company is shifting its focus toward lighter, display-free smart glasses, scheduled for release next year, to rival Meta.

      This glasses initiative was also part of Meade’s responsibilities, along with long-term plans for augmented reality glasses aimed at the decade’s end. His departure not only supplies a competitor with talent but also offers insights into Apple’s vision for wearables.

      Apple still has many projects underway, from camera-enabled AirPods to a tabletop robot and a wearable pendant, but it is facing increasing pressure in the AI domain. Meanwhile, OpenAI is expanding its hardware ambitions and now has the personnel to pursue them.

      The question now is no longer whether OpenAI can recruit Apple's talent—it undoubtedly can. The real question is whether a company that has yet to release a consumer device can achieve what Apple, despite its considerable talent, could not: getting people to embrace the future on their faces.