OpenAI hires over 40 Apple engineers for new AI hardware project

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, OpenAI has hired more than 40 engineers from Apple in just one month. These employees come from key areas such as industrial design, hardware engineering, camera systems, iPhone and Mac development, chips, audio, smartwatches, Vision Pro, device testing, manufacturing, and human factors engineering.

This move is linked to Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief designer. After leaving Apple, Ive started his own design firm, LoveFrom. OpenAI recently acquired Ive’s AI startup, io, for $6 billion and is now working with him to develop new AI-powered hardware devices—expected to launch next year.

Notable hires include Evans Hankey, Apple’s former head of industrial design, and Tang Tan, a senior hardware engineering executive. Many other hardware engineers have also joined OpenAI’s device team.

Apple is reportedly unhappy about the talent loss, with some insiders calling it a serious threat. The scale and scope of this hiring spree highlight OpenAI’s aggressive push into hardware—and signal growing competition between the two tech giants.

Industry observers are now watching closely to see what kind of AI hardware OpenAI will unveil with this new team.