Apple Loses More AI Researchers and a Siri Executive in Latest Departures

Core Insights - Apple Inc. has experienced significant talent loss in its artificial intelligence division, with at least four researchers departing to companies like Meta and Google DeepMind, including a top Siri executive [1][2][4] Group 1: Departures and Talent Loss - Recent exits from Apple include Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang, with Yang starting a new company and the others joining Meta [2] - The departures highlight ongoing turbulence within Apple's AI division, which has struggled to keep pace with competitors in the AI sector [3] - The company has lost over a dozen AI researchers in the past six months, primarily due to its decision to outsource some technology to Google [10] Group 2: Impact on AI Development - Zirui Wang is joining Google DeepMind, which is assisting Apple in developing core AI models for new features, including an upgraded Siri [4] - The AI challenges have contributed to a stock slump for Apple, despite reporting over $85 billion in iPhone sales [6] - Apple's AI division has faced scrutiny due to delays in new Siri features and a lack of compelling AI breakthroughs [8][10] Group 3: Organizational Changes - A major reorganization of Apple's AI efforts occurred last year, with CEO Tim Cook relieving AI chief John Giannandrea and assigning responsibilities to software head Craig Federighi [7] - The Foundation Models team, responsible for the Apple Intelligence platform, has seen leadership changes and is now run by AI researcher Zhifeng Chen [9] - Apple is preparing two new versions of Siri, one of which will utilize personal data for queries, while the other will feature a chatbot-style interface [10] Group 4: Collaboration with Google - Apple has opted to collaborate with Google for AI model development, with Cook stating it provides "the most capable foundation" for Apple's AI initiatives [11] - The company continues to rely on its own models for on-device features but is unlikely to depend on external partners indefinitely due to competitive pressures in the AI landscape [12]