Apple shakes up AI team as top exec John Giannandrea steps down

Core Insights - Apple's AI chief John Giannandrea is leaving the company amid challenges in AI development and integration, particularly with the Siri voice assistant [1][3] - Amar Subramanya, formerly of Google and Microsoft, will take over as vice president of artificial intelligence, reporting to Craig Federighi [1][2] - The leadership change is seen as timely for Apple as it faces pressure to enhance its AI capabilities and catch up with competitors [5][6] Company Strategy - AI has been a central focus for Apple, with CEO Tim Cook emphasizing the importance of AI expertise in the leadership team [2] - The company is significantly increasing its investments in AI and is open to mergers and acquisitions to accelerate its AI roadmap [9] Current Challenges - Apple has lagged behind major tech rivals in AI integration on its devices, with the updated Siri expected to launch by spring [3][9] - The delay in the Siri overhaul has led to a reassignment of oversight to other executives, indicating internal challenges in AI development [5] Market Reaction - Following the leadership shakeup, Apple shares rose approximately 1% in trading [9]