Apple Vision Pro executive Paul Meade reportedly departs for OpenAI

Apple vice president Paul Meade, who led hardware engineering for the $3,499 Vision Pro headset, is leaving the company to join OpenAI’s hardware division, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The departure marks a significant loss for Apple's spatial computing group as the company manages slow sales for its high-end wearable and pivots toward lighter, daily-wear smart glasses.

Meade's exit coincides with a broader restructuring of Apple's hardware engineering division under John Ternus. At OpenAI, Meade joins an expanding hardware team that is reportedly developing custom silicon and collaborating with external designers on new consumer AI devices.

Executive reshuffle under Ternus

According to a report on the departure, Meade's decision to leave follows organizational shifts initiated by Ternus, who is positioned as a likely successor to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The restructuring of the hardware engineering team reportedly left several vice presidents feeling sidelined or effectively demoted, prompting executive departures. Meade's exit represents one of the most high-profile departures from this group since the reorganization began.

The shift toward lightweight wearables

Meade was not only responsible for the Vision Pro hardware but also reportedly led development of Apple's upcoming lightweight, AI-powered smart glasses. Apple plans to launch these glasses next year.

Apple hopes these more affordable wearables will compete more effectively against Meta's smart glasses, especially after the $3,499 Vision Pro struggled to find a mass market.

Meade's transition to OpenAI leaves a leadership gap in this critical initiative just as Apple attempts to counter Meta's momentum in the smart eyewear category.

OpenAI's custom silicon and hardware ambitions

OpenAI has steadily built out its hardware capabilities to reduce its reliance on third-party providers and explore dedicated physical form factors.

The company is currently collaborating with Jony Ive, Apple's former chief design officer, on a quiet, screenless AI device intended to offer a less intrusive user experience than traditional smartphones.

Beyond consumer devices, OpenAI is investing heavily in custom silicon. An analysis of custom chip trends notes that OpenAI is developing "Jalapeño," a custom inference chip designed in partnership with Broadcom.

The push into custom silicon aims to mitigate single-supplier risk and lower the massive operational costs of running large language models.

Broader talent acquisition efforts

Meade's recruitment is part of a larger executive hiring spree at OpenAI. The company has aggressively poached leaders from major technology and logistics firms to manage its rapid global expansion and scaling challenges.

For example, OpenAI recently appointed former Uber executive Prabhjeet Singh as its first managing director for India.

To support this international growth, OpenAI is establishing several regional hubs:

• A new office in New Delhi, which opened last August.
• Upcoming offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru to expand local operations.
• A regional leadership team in Asia Pacific to oversee consumer growth and enterprise adoption.

Singh will report to Kiran Mani, OpenAI's managing director for Asia Pacific, starting in September.