Former Meta AR Hardware Lead Caitlin Kalinowski Joins OpenAI to Head Robotics and Consumer Hardware

Caitlin Kalinowski, who previously led Meta's augmented reality glasses project, announced that she’s taking on a new role at OpenAI as head of robotics and consumer hardware. Kalinowski, known for her work on Meta’s AR project "Orion" and the company’s VR goggles, confirmed her transition on LinkedIn, which OpenAI later validated through TechCrunch.

With a background that includes nearly a decade on Meta’s VR team and previous work at Apple, where she designed MacBook hardware, Kalinowski brings deep hardware expertise. In her LinkedIn post, she expressed enthusiasm for advancing robotics work that will help bring AI into practical, physical applications. This strategic move signals OpenAI’s renewed focus on robotics after pausing its hardware efforts in recent years.

Kalinowski may collaborate with Jony Ive, her former Apple colleague, as he and OpenAI are jointly developing an AI device aimed at a less disruptive user experience than current smartphones. OpenAI has also been expanding its robotics team, hiring engineers to support multimodal AI applications across its hardware partner network. OpenAI’s efforts align with broader industry trends, as companies like Apple and Figure have integrated OpenAI models into their products, enhancing functions such as ChatGPT on iPhones and natural speech for humanoid robots.