OpenAI has hired Paul Meade, Apple's top executive in charge of the Vision Pro headset and smart glasses efforts. Meade, a vice president who led Apple's hardware engineering team for the Vision Pro for seven years, is set to leave Apple by next week and join OpenAI's hardware unit to work on upcoming AI-powered devices.

This move continues OpenAI's strategy of assembling talent from Apple for its AI-first hardware ambitions. The company partnered with Jony Ive's Love From design team last year to develop the subsidiary io, which focuses on AI hardware. Meade joins other former Apple designers like Evans Hankey and Tang Ten on this project.

At Apple, Meade also led development of the company's first smart glasses, expected in late 2027. With his departure, longtime deputy Fletcher Rothkopf will take over many of Meade's responsibilities as head of the Vision Products Group.

Meade's exit stems from Apple's recent leadership shake-up. New CEO John Ternus appointed chip chief John Srouji as chief hardware officer, restructuring the organization and pushing several VPs down a hierarchy level. Meade and other hardware leaders now report to Tom Marieb instead of directly to Srouji.