Apple Loses Another Top Executive! Report: Vision Pro and the Smart Glasses Leader Join OpenAI

Apple executive exodus continues. The top executive in charge of Vision Pro headsets and smart glasses, Paul Meade, is about to leave Apple to join OpenAI, further weakening Apple's competitive strength in the AI hardware space.

According to Bloomberg citing insiders, Apple Vice President Meade will leave Apple within this week and then join OpenAI's hardware division, participating in its upcoming AI smart device product line.

Meade's departure is a significant blow to Apple. He led Vision Pro hardware engineering for seven years and was responsible for the development of Apple's screenless smart glasses—a product seen as Apple's key to entering the AI wearable market and competing with Meta next year.

After the news broke, Apple's stock price narrowed its gains during Friday's trading session, but later resumed its uptrend, eventually closing up 3.14%.

OpenAI stated that it will launch multiple new AI hardware products in the coming years.

Previously, John Ternus, who long oversaw all of Apple's hardware engineering, became CEO on September 1, triggering a restructuring of top management. Several vice presidents had their responsibilities adjusted, with Meade and several hardware heads being downgraded.

Apple internal restructuring, some executives demoted

Meade's departure is closely tied to a recent controversial internal restructuring at Apple.

John Ternus, who long oversaw all of Apple's hardware engineering, became CEO on September 1, triggering a high-level structural adjustment. Chip business head Johny Srouji succeeded Ternus as Chief Hardware Officer and immediately began a large-scale reorganization of the hardware engineering department. Several vice presidents had their responsibilities adjusted, and some executives felt they were demoted.

Under the new structure, Meade and several hardware heads no longer report directly to Srouji but must report through the newly appointed Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Tom Marieb, who then reports to Srouji, effectively moving these executives down one level in the organizational hierarchy.

After Meade leaves, his main responsibilities will be taken over by long-time deputy Fletcher Rothkopf. Rothkopf currently oversees product design for Vision Pro and smart glasses.

OpenAI accelerates poaching of Apple hardware talent

After joining OpenAI, Meade will work alongside a group of former Apple colleagues, including Jony Ive, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey. These three previously headed Apple's design, hardware product design, and industrial design, respectively, before co-founding an AI hardware startup that was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion last year.

This personnel change continues the trend of Apple executives leaving for OpenAI.

Earlier media reports indicated that OpenAI has been steadily poaching grassroots technical talent from Apple's hardware engineering department. Another vice president-level exception is Alan Dye, who previously led Apple's human-computer interaction team and joined Meta last December. However, it has historically been rare for Apple vice presidents to jump to competitors.

OpenAI says it is simultaneously developing multiple new devices, expected to be launched over the next few years.

Vision Pro outlook dims, Apple roadmap shifts

Meade's exit is a microcosm of the successive setbacks in Apple's headset business.

His predecessor, Mike Rockwell, had already left that position to take over Siri's business, taking several Vision Pro executives with him and splitting the Vision product group into independent hardware and software departments.

After Vision Pro's poor sales performance, Apple significantly adjusted its product roadmap, shifting focus from closed headsets to glasses form factors.

Over the past two years, Apple has started and shelved several headset projects, including a lighter, lower-cost version originally planned for 2027. According to Bloomberg, Apple is currently reassessing its closed-headset direction, with the latest test models not expected to be released until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Apple is laying the groundwork for multiple new AI products, covering smart home devices, desktop robots, wearable pendants, and new AirPods with cameras that can sense the surrounding environment. However, the continued loss of core hardware talent adds further uncertainty to whether these ambitions can be realized on schedule.

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