OpenAI seems to be quietly entering the consumer goods sector, a market dominated by Apple, Samsung and Google.
To prepare for this plan, the company led by Sam altman has launched a huge recruitment campaign, attracting a series of veteran personnel from Apple and signing contracts with many major suppliers.
According to reports, OpenAI is ready to launch a stock package worth up to $1 million to recruit experts, especially targeting veterans in Apple's design and manufacturing sector.
The campaign is led by Tang Tan, a former Apple hardware director with more than 20 years of experience and currently serving as a hardware leader at OpenAI. He is said to be committed to building a less-process and multi-cooperative environment, in contrast to the inherent monopoly at Apple.
To realize the plan, OpenAI has joined hands with a number of key Apple suppliers. Luxshare, a famous Chinese company that assembles iPhones and AirPods, has signed a contract to produce a device for OpenAI. At the same time, Goertek, a manufacturer of HomePod and Apple Watch, was also contacted to supply components, including loudspeaker modules.
The products in OpenAI's development roadmap are said to include screenless smart speakers, smart glasses, digital recorders and wearable sticks. The launch milestone is expected to fall in the 2026 - early 2027 period.
Notably, Apple seems to be trying to prevent the wave of human resources from leaving. Many sources said that the company has canceled an annual meeting in China for supply chain groups, which is believed to retain key leaders in the face of strong OpenAI appeal. In fact, within a year, more than 20 senior Apple employees have joined the AI company.
Some notable names include Cyrus Daniel Iran, the person behind Siri's colorful wave design, or Matt Theobald, a production designer with nearly two decades of experience with Apple, and Erik de Jong, a former senior executive vice president of Apple Watch hardware.
If OpenAI officially announces its first line of hardware devices, this will be the boldest step to shape its position in the global consumer market, while opening a new era of competition among technology giants.
