The executive who led Vision Pro and Apple's upcoming smart glasses is moving to OpenAI as the iPhone maker reshuffles its hardware leadership.
Paul Meade, the Apple vice president responsible for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, is leaving the company to join OpenAI’s hardware team, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. [1]
Meade also led development of AI-powered smart glasses that Apple plans to launch next year, positioning him as a key figure in the company’s wearables strategy. [1] The Vision Pro headset he oversaw did not perform well commercially, and Apple has been counting on lower-cost smart glasses to help it compete with wearable devices from Meta. [1]
The departure is framed by Gurman as connected to an internal reorganization triggered by John Ternus’ expected elevation to Apple chief executive officer. [1] Ternus’ decision to restructure the hardware engineering team reportedly left some vice presidents feeling demoted, contributing to Meade’s exit. [1]
Meade joins an OpenAI hardware effort that already includes former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive, who is collaborating with the company on an AI device. [1] OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has described that device as intended to be more peaceful and calm than a smartphone, though reports from last fall indicated the project faced difficulties in execution. [1]
TechCrunch reported it had reached out to both Apple and OpenAI for comment. [1]
Sources
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