Apple’s Vision Pro hardware chief defects to OpenAI

Apple Inc. is losing a pillar of its spatial computing ambitions to OpenAI. Paul Meade, the Vice President overseeing the Vision Pro headset and Apple’s upcoming smart glasses, is departing the tech giant.

Meade will exit Apple by next week to spearhead OpenAI’s burgeoning hardware division, according to a Bloomberg report. At OpenAI, he is tasked with bringing a new family of AI-native devices to life. Neither company has officially commented on the move.

Meade isn’t just a manager; he’s an architect of Apple’s future-gen wearables. He led Vision Pro hardware engineering for seven years and was actively steering the display-free smart glasses meant to rival Meta next year. His departure leaves a massive vacuum in Apple’s Vision Products Group, which will now be managed by his deputy, Fletcher Rothkopf.

This isn’t just a routine exit—it’s a massive talent coup for OpenAI. Meade is joining an elite enclave of Apple defectors, including design legends Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey. That trio’s AI hardware startup was quietly swallowed up by OpenAI last year for a staggering $6.5 billion. By snagging Meade, OpenAI isn’t just building a hardware team; they are effectively rebuilding the DNA of Apple’s golden-era design group to build the next generation of AI gadgets.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Investing.com’s stocks of the week
• IMF economist says dollar still dominates despite trade shifts
• Apple (AAPL) call put ratio 1.4 calls to 1 put amid share price pull back