Apple is watching a steady stream of its engineers and designers move to OpenAI, and the trend now spans audio experts, watch designers, robotics specialists, and more. A review of LinkedIn profiles, highlighted by the Wall Street Journal, shows how concentrated this movement has become as OpenAI builds its own hardware division.
Former Apple staff now listed at OpenAI include people who worked on audio systems used across the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. Others shaped the look and feel of wearable products. Several also spent years inside Apple’s robotics and advanced technology teams. This shift comes as OpenAI prepares its first hardware device for launch next year.
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The situation sits inside a broader moment for Apple, and several sources report how the company is already dealing with major leadership exits. Apple recently announced the retirement of Kate Adams, Lisa Jackson, and AI chief John Giannandrea. Earlier this year, Jeff Williams and Luca Maestri stepped back from their roles. Even rumors about Tim Cook’s future added more attention to the company’s direction.
A Wider Wave of Departures
Meanwhile, Meta has hired multiple Apple employees, including longtime designer Alan Dye, as it rebuilds its AI and smartglasses strategy. OpenAI has also expanded its efforts after Sam Altman agreed to a multibillion-dollar deal to partner with Jony Ive and his design team. Their new hardware arm continues to recruit aggressively from Apple.
Across the org chart, dozens of employees have left for OpenAI and Meta, creating a long-term shift that now gives rivals access to Apple’s internal knowledge. The departures highlight a changing era inside the company at a time when competitors aim to challenge the iPhone’s grip on daily life.
Apple still holds enormous influence because its online services run on its devices. Yet rivals like Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk are now working to shape their own paths. Musk has even explored building a smartphone while also suing Apple over the placement of his AI app on the App Store.
Not long ago, Former Apple CEO John Sculley added some heat to the debate at the Zeta Live event in New York. He said OpenAI now stands as Apple’s first true rival since the 1990s. Sculley said Artificial Intelligence has not been Apple’s strongest area so far. He pointed to uneven product momentum when compared with OpenAI, Google, Amazon, and Meta.
Apple needs a strong AI strategy that convinces customers and employees that it still leads the next chapter of technology. Tim Cook, who recently turned 65, continues to run the company at full speed. If he manages to deliver powerful AI products before he steps aside, he sets up both his legacy and Apple’s future.
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