Apple employees leaving company to join OpenAI: Here’s why

Apple

Apple is quietly losing some of its best people, and many of them are choosing to work for OpenAI instead. A report in the Wall Street Journal says dozens of Apple engineers and designers have left in recent months, and a surprising number of them are joining OpenAI as it prepares to build its own hardware.

A look at LinkedIn profiles shows that these former Apple employees come from important teams. Some worked on audio features used across the iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch. Others helped design the Apple Watch itself. A few even worked on robotics projects inside Apple, something the company rarely talks about in public.

Their move to OpenAI seems to be linked to a new device the company hopes to launch next year. Details are not public yet, but it is clear the project is interesting enough to attract people who once played key roles in Apple’s biggest products.

At the same time, Apple has been seeing several top leaders leave. This week, Meta hired multiple Apple employees, including long-time Apple designer Alan Dye, for its own work on AI and smart glasses. Apple also announced the retirement of three senior leaders: Kate Adams, who served as the company’s top lawyer, Lisa Jackson, who led environmental and policy efforts, and John Giannandrea, who headed Apple’s work in AI.

Earlier this year, Apple said goodbye to two other major figures. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams retired, and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri also stepped away. On top of this, there have been ongoing rumours that CEO Tim Cook may be preparing to retire next year, although nothing has been confirmed.

With so many changes happening at once, it is no surprise that people are asking questions about Apple’s future direction. Many in the industry feel the excitement has shifted toward companies deeply focused on AI, and OpenAI is one of the main places engineers want to be right now.

For Apple, the challenge is clear. The company that once attracted the world’s top talent now has to work harder to keep them, especially as AI becomes the next major battleground in tech.