Apple VP goes to OpenAI
Pol Mid, a vice president who worked on Apple's Vision Pro project, unexpectedly left the company, Zamin.uz reported.
According to Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, the experienced engineer is now active in the hardware division of OpenAI. This news indicates that the competition between two tech giants has entered a new phase.
Details were reported on Techcrunch.com. Pol Mid worked not only on the Vision Pro headset but also on the AI-powered smart glasses that Apple plans to unveil next year.
His departure is considered a significant loss for Cupertino, as Mid was one of the individuals responsible for the company's most complex engineering solutions. Now he is helping OpenAI create a new generation of AI devices.
Experts suggest that this departure may be linked to anticipated changes under Apple's leadership. According to reports, Jon Ternus, the head of hardware, is expected to soon take Tim Cook's position.
The organizational changes and team restructuring led by Ternus have reportedly caused dissatisfaction among some senior executives, prompting them to seek opportunities elsewhere. Although the Apple Vision Pro device is technically flawless, its extremely high price and usability issues have prevented it from achieving the expected market success.
The company is currently working on more affordable and practical smart glasses to compete with Meta. Given that Pol Mid was leading exactly this project, his departure could affect its timeline.
OpenAI, too, is not limiting itself to software alone. Under Sam Altman's leadership, the startup has already begun developing a new type of device in collaboration with former Apple designer Jony Ive.
According to Altman, this device will be a tool that does not constantly demand human attention like the iPhone, but instead offers a calm and peaceful user experience.
These changes are also significant for Uzbekistan's technology market.
While Apple products have considerable influence in our country, expensive devices like Vision Pro have not become widespread. If OpenAI and Pol Mid's collaboration produces affordable AI devices suited for daily life, it is certain to generate significant interest among local users as well.
So far, neither Apple nor OpenAI has issued an official comment regarding this personnel exchange. However, industry experts emphasize that Pol Mid's experience could be of decisive importance for OpenAI's entry into the hardware market.
