Apple announced on Monday that John Giannandrea, the company’s AI chief since 2018, will be stepping down from his position. Giannandrea will be transitioning out of Apple and will serve as an advisor until spring. His replacement, Amar Subramanya, is a former Microsoft executive with 16 years of experience at Google, where he led engineering for the Gemini Assistant.
The departure of Giannandrea comes amidst challenges faced by Apple Intelligence, the company’s AI platform, which has been struggling since its launch in October 2024. Early reviews of Apple Intelligence were disappointing, with issues such as inaccurate notification summaries generating false headlines and Siri’s overhaul failing to meet expectations.
A Bloomberg investigation in May shed light on Apple’s AI struggles, revealing internal organizational dysfunction and communication issues. Giannandrea had already been sidelined prior to his departure, with Siri being taken out of his oversight and handed to another executive within Apple. The report also highlighted an exodus of AI researchers to competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Meta.
Apple is now reportedly turning to Google’s Gemini model to power the next version of Siri, a surprising move given the rivalry between the two tech giants. Giannandrea, who previously led Machine Intelligence and Search at Google, was responsible for overseeing Apple’s AI strategy, machine learning infrastructure, and Siri development.
Subramanya, as the new head of AI at Apple, will report to Craig Federighi and is tasked with helping the company catch up in the AI space. Apple’s approach to AI, focusing on processing tasks directly on users’ devices using custom Apple Silicon chips, sets it apart from competitors who rely on massive data centers. However, this approach has its trade-offs, such as smaller on-device models and limited access to real-world data for training.
The transition in leadership at Apple’s AI division marks a pivotal moment for the company as it navigates the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Only time will tell if Apple’s unique approach to AI will pay off in the long run.
