Apple AI Shakeup: Giannandrea Out, Former Google Gemini Chief Amar Subramanya Hired

Apple has announced a major leadership reshuffle, with Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy John Giannandrea set to step down in spring next year after seven years at the company. According to Bloomberg, Tim Cook has lost confidence in Giannandrea’s ability to lead Apple’s AI efforts, and ahead of his formal departure Apple plans to disband the AI organisation he oversaw, with teams reporting separately to Craig Federighi, Sabih Khan, and Eddy Cue.

Amar Subramanya, a veteran of Microsoft and Google who led engineering for the Gemini assistant at Google, has been appointed Vice President of AI and will focus on model development, machine-learning research and AI safety, reporting to Federighi. He will spearhead development of foundational models and other strategically vital technologies as Apple seeks to catch up in a competitive landscape.

The article also notes a growing talent drain within Apple's engineering ranks, with robotics researchers and core model team members leaving for roles at Tesla and Meta, underscoring challenges in maintaining in-house AI depth during a period of rapid industry advancement.