Apple's AI chief steps down after Siri setbacks, replaced by former Google executive.
John Giannandrea, who was at the helm of Apple’s AI efforts since 2018, has stepped down from his position as head of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning following a string of delays and setbacks in the development of Siri, Apple's voice assistant.
As part of the shake-up, former Microsoft executive Amar Subramanya will take over as vice president of AI. Prior to joining Apple, Subramanya spent 16 years at Google before becoming corporate VP of AI at Microsoft in July. His new role will see him oversee the development of Apple's AI models, machine learning research, and AI safety.
Giannandrea joined Apple three years ago with the goal of enhancing the company's voice assistant capabilities. However, his tenure has been marked by delays in the release of more personalized Siri features. In March, Apple admitted that its latest iteration would take longer than expected to arrive, citing technical challenges.
According to sources close to the matter, CEO Tim Cook had lost confidence in Giannandrea's ability to lead the AI team, prompting him to hand over reins to Mike Rockwell, leader of Vision Pro, a new augmented reality project. Giannandrea will continue to work as an advisor until his retirement in 2026.
Subramanya’s arrival is seen as a significant move by Apple to regain momentum on its AI-powered features. With the company expected to launch its upgraded Siri next spring, powered by a custom version of Google's Gemini AI model, Apple hopes Subramanya's expertise will help drive innovation and growth in the sector.
"I am pleased to welcome Amar to Craig's leadership team and bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple," said Tim Cook. "In addition to growing his leadership team and AI responsibilities with Amar’s joining, Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year."
The switch marks a significant development for Apple as it seeks to reinvigorate its AI-driven features and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
John Giannandrea, who was at the helm of Apple’s AI efforts since 2018, has stepped down from his position as head of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning following a string of delays and setbacks in the development of Siri, Apple's voice assistant.
As part of the shake-up, former Microsoft executive Amar Subramanya will take over as vice president of AI. Prior to joining Apple, Subramanya spent 16 years at Google before becoming corporate VP of AI at Microsoft in July. His new role will see him oversee the development of Apple's AI models, machine learning research, and AI safety.
Giannandrea joined Apple three years ago with the goal of enhancing the company's voice assistant capabilities. However, his tenure has been marked by delays in the release of more personalized Siri features. In March, Apple admitted that its latest iteration would take longer than expected to arrive, citing technical challenges.
According to sources close to the matter, CEO Tim Cook had lost confidence in Giannandrea's ability to lead the AI team, prompting him to hand over reins to Mike Rockwell, leader of Vision Pro, a new augmented reality project. Giannandrea will continue to work as an advisor until his retirement in 2026.
Subramanya’s arrival is seen as a significant move by Apple to regain momentum on its AI-powered features. With the company expected to launch its upgraded Siri next spring, powered by a custom version of Google's Gemini AI model, Apple hopes Subramanya's expertise will help drive innovation and growth in the sector.
"I am pleased to welcome Amar to Craig's leadership team and bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple," said Tim Cook. "In addition to growing his leadership team and AI responsibilities with Amar’s joining, Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year."
The switch marks a significant development for Apple as it seeks to reinvigorate its AI-driven features and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
I gotta say, this is a big shake-up at Apple! I mean, John Giannandrea was trying his best with Siri, but those delays are no joke 
. It's good to see them bring in someone with Google experience, Amar Subramanya is gonna be a game-changer 
! Apple needs that boost, especially since they're planning to launch an upgraded Siri next spring 
. Tim Cook is making some smart moves here, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for AI at Apple 
? Like, 3 years is a looong time to be tinkering with voice assistants... I guess someone's gotta take the fall for Apple's AI ambitions 
. On the bright side, Google's Gemini AI model is being used next spring 
- hopefully it won't crash and burn like Siri has in the past 
. Amar Subramanya's expertise should bring some fresh air to Apple's AI team 
... but hey, we've heard that before, right? 
Siri's been a disaster for ages, and now we're hearing that Apple's AI chief is stepping down because of "technical challenges"... what even is that supposed to mean?! 
It's not like they didn't have enough resources or talent on board. And now they're bringing in some old Google dude who's going to try and turn things around... I'll believe it when I see it. 
he's got experience working with google and microsoft so i trust him to make some magic happen with siri 
can't wait to see what they come up with next ! 
it's like apple had high hopes on him, but didn't quite work out 
seems like he brings some fresh blood & expertise 2 the table 
u hope the new siri upgrade turns out better this time around 
With the arrival of Amar Subramanya, who brings 16 years of experience in AI from Google, Apple is likely to regain momentum on its AI-powered features 
think this is actually a pretty cool move by apple 
. might be just what they needed to spice up siri and give users some real personalized features 
. But maybe this change is just what Apple needed? 
With their new custom Gemini AI model, they're trying to stay competitive 
so apparently apple's ai guy got the boot 
, like what was expected right? i mean who gets 3 whole years to fix siri and still can't deliver 
? on the bright side they're getting someone from google, like that'll magically fix everything 
. seems like tim cook is trying to reboot or something 
. like, siri hasn't been exactly setting the world on fire lately, and google just made some major gains with their new ai model 
... hope he can bring some excitement back to apple's ai game 
i mean i get it they wanna innovate but delays and setbacks? that's just so frustrating 
amar subramanya is like a breath of fresh air though 
! So like, you would think that having someone super experienced from Google on board would be a game changer? I mean, 16 years of experience is no joke 
.
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