Paul Meade will begin OpenAI’s {hardware} division, ‘Bloomberg’ says.
Paul Meade, an Apple VP who heads the Imaginative and prescient Merchandise Group, is reportedly leaving the corporate subsequent week for OpenAI. In line with Bloomberg, the highest government in command of the Vision Pro headset and Apple’s sensible glasses initiatives will probably be beginning up the AI firm’s {hardware} unit. OpenAI has been creating AI-powered gadgets with Jony Ive’s startup since 2025. Whereas Ive’s io merged with OpenAI in a $6.5 billion deal, it stays unbiased.
It is unclear how the brand new in-house {hardware} division will have an effect on OpenAI’s work with Ive’s startup. Bloomberg says Meade will oversee the event of a household of AI-powered gadgets. The Info reported earlier this 12 months that Ive’s studio can be engaged on a collection of AI gadgets, together with a smart speaker that is anticipated to be out there someday in 2027.
At Apple, Meade led the {hardware} engineering for the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset for seven years and had additionally been spearheading the corporate’s sensible glasses initiatives. Earlier reports mentioned Apple will not be launching its first sensible glasses mannequin till the top of 2027. Meade additionally labored on the iPad and the iPhone earlier than becoming a member of the Imaginative and prescient Merchandise Group in 2017, after which overseeing the group’s {hardware} engineering a few years later. Fletcher Rothkopf, who was one of many founders of the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional staff, will probably be taking on a lot of Meade’s tasks.
Bloomberg says Meade’s departure was attributable to John Ternus’ impending appointment as CEO of Apple. Ternus is at the moment SVP of {hardware} engineering and can take over from Tim Prepare dinner on September 1.
