According to a report by The Information, OpenAI is luring Apple engineers with high stock grants and creative freedom as it builds new hardware like speakerless devices, and wearables for 2026-2027 (via MacRumors).
OpenAI is reportedly engaging with suppliers about several next-generation gadgets including a smart speaker without a display, wearable pin devices, glasses, and even a digital voice recorder. The company expects at least some of these devices to hit the market in late 2026 or early 2027.
A major pull factor for engineers joining OpenAI has been compensation. Some of the departing Apple staff have accepted lucrative stock grants well above what they had at Apple. The promise of fewer layers of bureaucracy, more creative freedom, and an environment with more cross-team collaboration also features heavily in their reasons.
Among the notable people who have defected are veterans in hardware and software design at Apple. One is Cyrus Daniel Irani, who for 15 years worked on user interface design and was instrumental in creating the multicolor Siri waveform introduced with the iPhone 6S. Another is Erik de Jong who was a senior figure in Apple Watch hardware.
The pace of departures has accelerated. OpenAI recruited more than two dozen Apple employees this year who specialize in user interfaces, camera systems, audio, and wearable technologies. That is up from roughly ten in the same period last year.
OpenAI’s strategy combines poaching talent with leveraging Apple’s supply chain. For example Apple suppliers Luxshare and Goertek are reportedly involved in component and manufacturing discussions for devices OpenAI has under development. Among these suppliers, Luxshare has been contracted to assemble at least one OpenAI device.
Apple has taken notice of what some would describe as an exodus. One visible sign was the unexpected cancellation of an offsite meeting in China for teams involved in supply chain and manufacturing. Apple executives were reportedly concerned that being away from its headquarters too long might increase the risk of further defections to OpenAI.
This trend could carry serious implications for Apple. Losing engineers who have helped maintain that integration, particularly in wearables, may slow its ability to innovate at the pace competitors are now moving.
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