Apple says its top AI executive is stepping aside

Apple shakes up AI team

Apple announced that its longtime AI chief, John Giannandrea, is stepping down, marking the biggest change inside the company’s artificial intelligence group since launching Apple Intelligence in 2024.

The move comes as Apple faces pressure to keep up with competitors racing ahead with new models and bigger investments.

Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 and played a major role in shaping its AI strategy. He will remain as an advisor until his retirement in spring 2026, helping Apple manage the transition smoothly.

New leader joins Apple

Amar Subramanya will take over as Apple’s new vice president of AI. He previously worked at Microsoft and Google’s DeepMind, giving him experience with advanced AI model development and research.

Subramanya will lead teams working on Apple Foundation Models, machine learning research, and AI Safety and Evaluation. This realignment aims to streamline operations and accelerate progress on Apple’s next generation of AI features.

Giannandrea shifts to advisor

Although stepping down from leadership, Giannandrea will remain as an advisor until spring 2026. His departure marks the end of a major chapter in Apple’s AI development amid rapid advances by rivals.

Apple credited him with building core AI teams and shaping early Apple Intelligence plans. His exit adds urgency for the company to refine its strategy and improve on-device intelligence for users.

Federighi expands AI oversight

Software chief Craig Federighi will play a larger role in Apple’s AI initiatives.

Tim Cook said Federighi has been instrumental in driving Apple’s AI efforts, including overseeing work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year, after Apple acknowledged delays in rolling out the upgraded assistant.

With Subramanya joining his team, Federighi’s expanded oversight strengthens the link between AI model development and consumer software, ensuring Apple products remain competitive.

Teams move under new leaders

Some AI groups previously reporting to Giannandrea will transition to COO Sabih Khan and services head Eddy Cue. This restructuring spreads responsibility across senior leaders to speed up development and integration.

The change highlights how AI now touches hardware, software, and services. Each leader will guide teams that integrate AI into products used daily by millions of customers.

Apple struggles with reviews

Apple Intelligence launched to high expectations, but early reviews were mixed. Critics noted that its capabilities lag behind rivals like OpenAI and Google, which have rapidly rolled out generative AI features.

The delay of an upgraded Siri until 2026 also fueled criticism and highlighted the development challenges Apple faces in staying competitive.

Investors expect stronger progress

Apple’s share performance in 2025 has been more uneven than that of some AI-focused tech giants, at times lagging peers and reinforcing calls for clearer AI progress.

Analysts point out that, compared with Microsoft, Google, and Meta, Apple has moved more cautiously on massive cloud AI infrastructure and large-scale models.

The leadership change may reassure investors that Apple is serious about accelerating its AI strategy to compete at the frontier of technology.

Apple prefers on device AI

Apple focuses on running AI models directly on devices rather than relying heavily on cloud servers. This approach prioritizes privacy and fast response times for certain tasks.

This strategy requires optimised and efficient models. Subramanya’s experience in building advanced AI systems is expected to support Apple’s device-first AI plans over the coming years and beyond.

Partnership with OpenAI grows

Apple partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into products like Siri, giving it access to cutting-edge AI capabilities while continuing internal model development.

This collaboration balances cloud AI strengths with Apple’s privacy standards and will remain a key part of the company’s AI strategy going forward.

Ive and Altman develop device

Former Apple designer Jony Ive sold his AI hardware startup, io Products, to OpenAI in an all-stock deal worth about $6.5 billion, joining efforts to create new AI hardware. Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said their prototypes are ready and may be revealed within two years.

This adds pressure on Apple to innovate quickly, as AI-focused hardware could define the next era of consumer technology.

Competitors push harder on AI

Microsoft, Google, and Meta are heavily investing in AI infrastructure and models, releasing features faster than Apple typically does. The pace has set new industry expectations.

Apple’s leadership change shows it is aware of these pressures and is reorganising to remain competitive in the evolving AI landscape and to sharpen its products and services.

AI becomes a core priority

Apple has significantly increased its AI spending in 2025. Tim Cook called AI a profound technology that will shape nearly every Apple product moving forward.

The new leadership structure with Subramanya and Federighi reinforces Apple’s commitment to making AI an essential part of its ecosystem and user experience.

Curious about how tech giants are shifting their strategies? Dive into the latest move as Meta recruits another AI leader from Apple.

What this shift means now

Apple’s AI leadership change marks a new phase, with reorganised teams, increased investment, and faster development aimed at catching up in key areas like assistants and device-based intelligence.

Curious about how Apple TV+ could change if Apple lowers or temporarily drops its paywall in 2025? You can explore the latest reported features and experiments here.

What do you think about Apple’s evolving AI strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.