Apple Exec Heads to OpenAI as Vision Pro Lead Departs

Paul Meade, Apple's vice president of hardware engineering for its Vision Products Group, is leaving the company to join OpenAI's consumer hardware unit. Meade has been with Apple for 15 years and was instrumental in developing the Vision Pro headset and smart glasses initiative.

His departure marks a significant blow to Apple's emerging spatial computing and augmented reality platforms. During his tenure at Apple, Meade managed product development for several key products, including the iPad in 2010 and iPhone in 2012.

Meade will join OpenAI's consumer hardware unit to develop AI-powered devices, marking a significant coup for the company as it continues to recruit top talent from Apple. Fletcher Rothkopf, Meade's second-in-command, will inherit his responsibilities at Apple.