Apple announced on Monday that its senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, John Giannandrea, will retire early next year, marking a major shift in the company’s artificial intelligence leadership.
The move comes as Apple faces growing pressure to keep pace in the fast-moving AI race.
Giannandrea, who joined Apple in 2018 and has overseen its AI development for six years, will continue serving as an advisor until his exit. “We are thankful for the role John played in building and advancing our AI work,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
In a strategic transition, Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya as vice president to lead critical areas of its AI operations. Subramanya previously served as a corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft and spent 16 years at Google, where he headed engineering for the Gemini digital assistant. Apple highlighted his experience integrating advanced AI into products as key to strengthening future Apple Intelligence features.
The leadership change follows Apple’s delay of its upgraded Siri assistant earlier this year, with a launch now expected next year. Meanwhile, competitors including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI continue to introduce more powerful AI tools, raising concerns that Apple risks falling behind in the industry’s most transformative technology shift.
Cook emphasised that AI remains “central to Apple’s strategy,” noting that Subramanya will work closely with Software Engineering chief Craig Federighi, who has been overseeing Apple’s push toward a more personalised Siri and AI-enhanced device ecosystem.
What you should know
Apple’s longtime AI chief, John Giannandrea, is retiring as the company faces pressure to catch up in the global AI race.
Veteran engineer Amar Subramanya, formerly of Google and Microsoft, will take over key AI functions.
Apple aims to accelerate its development of Apple Intelligence features and a more advanced Siri.
