OpenAI has recruited another senior Apple executive as it expands its ambitions in artificial intelligence hardware. According to a new report, Paul Meade, a longtime Apple executive and a key figure behind the Apple Vision Pro, is leaving the company to join OpenAI’s hardware team.
Meade reportedly plans to move from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters to OpenAI’s operations in Mission Bay. There, he will work on the company’s upcoming line of AI-powered devices.
A Veteran of Apple’s Hardware Teams
Meade spent more than 15 years at Apple. He joined the company in 2010 as an iPad manager. Later, he oversaw program management for the iPhone. In 2017, he moved to Apple’s Vision Products Group and eventually took charge of hardware engineering for the Apple Vision Pro in 2019.
His departure marks another significant change for Apple’s leadership team. The company has already lost several important executives in recent months.
OpenAI Builds a Powerful Hardware Division
OpenAI’s hardware team continues to attract top talent from Apple. The company already employs former Apple executives, including Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey. The report suggests that OpenAI has made a deliberate effort to recruit experienced engineers and designers from Cupertino.
OpenAI strengthened its hardware ambitions when it acquired Jony Ive’s AI startup in 2025. Since then, the company has added several former Apple employees to its growing team. Tang Tan also helped recruit experts from Apple’s design and Apple Watch divisions.
Growing Competition in AI Devices
The move highlights the increasing competition between major technology companies in the race to develop AI-powered hardware. While Apple continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence and mixed-reality products, OpenAI appears determined to build its own ecosystem of smart devices.
Industry observers now wonder what kind of products OpenAI plans to release and how they could challenge existing consumer technology. Although the company has not revealed its hardware roadmap, its aggressive hiring strategy suggests that major announcements may be on the horizon.
For Apple, losing another experienced executive could create new challenges. For OpenAI, however, adding Paul Meade further strengthens one of the tech industry’s most closely watched hardware teams.
