Apple Losing Talent to OpenAI as Hardware Ambitions Grow
Apple Losing Talent to OpenAI is becoming a headline trend in Silicon Valley. According to The Information, OpenAI has stepped up its hiring efforts, attracting Apple’s top engineers and designers just as the company ramps up development of its first hardware products.
OpenAI’s Big Hardware Play
OpenAI is reportedly working on an ambitious lineup of devices, ranging from a smart speaker without a display to glasses, a digital voice recorder, and even a wearable pin. The goal is to release its first product by late 2026 or early 2027.
To make this possible, the company is aggressively recruiting Apple veterans with experience in user interfaces, wearables, cameras, and audio technology.
Why Apple Talent Is Jumping Ship
Apple employees are leaving for OpenAI not only because of lucrative compensation packages — with stock grants exceeding $1 million — but also for the promise of less bureaucracy and more collaboration.
This year alone, OpenAI has hired more than two dozen Apple engineers, up from just 10 last year. Big names include:
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Cyrus Daniel Irani, a 15-year Apple veteran who designed Siri’s colorful waveform.
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Erik de Jong, a senior executive from the Apple Watch hardware team.
The Jony Ive Factor
Former Apple design legend Jony Ive and ex-Apple executive Tang Tan are central to the appeal. They’re reportedly recreating Apple’s old spirit of bold industrial design and tight hardware collaboration — a stark contrast to what some employees call Apple’s “incremental” updates.
Insiders note that many Apple engineers are reaching out to OpenAI directly, eager to work on visionary products with familiar faces from their past.
Apple’s Internal Concerns
Reports suggest Apple is increasingly alarmed by the talent drain. Last month, Apple canceled a major offsite meeting in China for its U.S. and Chinese supply chain teams. Executives feared being away from Cupertino would weaken efforts to retain staff during OpenAI’s aggressive hiring spree.
Frustration inside Apple is also tied to slower stock growth and limited excitement around recent product launches, giving OpenAI an edge in appealing to ambitious engineers.
OpenAI Partners With Apple’s Own Suppliers
In another twist, OpenAI is said to be working with Apple’s longtime suppliers. Luxshare, the assembler of iPhones and AirPods, has been contracted to assemble at least one upcoming OpenAI device. The company has also approached Goertek, a supplier for AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches, for components like speakers.
What This Means for Apple
Apple losing talent to OpenAI highlights a bigger shift in the tech industry. OpenAI isn’t just an AI software company anymore — it’s moving into hardware with some of the brightest minds from Apple’s past and present.
If OpenAI succeeds, it could reshape the hardware landscape and challenge Apple in areas where it once dominated. For Apple, the pressure is on to prove it can still inspire its best engineers to stay.
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