Apple Vision Pro exec reportedly departing for OpenAI
▼ Summary
– Apple Vice President Paul Meade, who led Vision Pro development, is leaving Apple to join OpenAI’s hardware team.
– Meade also oversaw development of Apple’s upcoming AI-powered smart glasses, intended to compete with Meta’s wearables.
– The departure is linked to John Ternus’ expected promotion to CEO and his restructuring of the hardware team, which left some VPs feeling demoted.
– OpenAI is collaborating with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on an AI device, though reports indicate challenges in finalizing details.
– TechCrunch has contacted Apple and OpenAI for comment on the departure.
A key figure behind Apple’s Vision Pro is reportedly heading to OpenAI. Paul Meade, the Apple vice president overseeing the mixed-reality headset, is leaving the company to join OpenAI’s hardware division, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Meade’s departure is notable not only for his role on the Vision Pro but also because he reportedly led development on Apple’s upcoming AI-powered smart glasses, which are expected to launch next year. While the high-cost Vision Pro failed to achieve blockbuster sales, Apple is betting that a more affordable smart glasses product will help it compete with Meta’s wearable lineup.
Gurman frames this exit as a ripple effect of John Ternus’ anticipated promotion to Apple CEO. Ternus has reportedly been reorganizing the hardware engineering team, a shift that left several vice presidents feeling sidelined or demoted. Meade’s move to OpenAI may reflect that internal tension.
For OpenAI, this hire signals a continued push into consumer hardware. The company is already collaborating with former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive on an AI device. CEO Sam Altman has described the project as something more peaceful and calm than an iPhone, though reports from last fall indicated the team was still wrestling with the product’s finer details.
TechCrunch has reached out to both Apple and OpenAI for comment.
(Source: TechCrunch)
