Apple has announced a fundamental shift in its AI strategy and a critical change to its management team. John Giannandrea, who has served as the company’s AI chief since 2018, is leaving his position. Giannandrea, who will remain at the company as a consultant until the spring, will be replaced by a highly experienced individual. Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya, who spent 16 years at Google and most recently led Gemini Assistant engineering at Microsoft, as its new AI chief. Subramanya, who is well-versed in its competitors, is being described as a “smart move” for Apple.
Management Changes After Apple Intelligence Crisis
This leadership change is seen as a result of the company’s challenging AI landscape. Launched in October 2024 as a response to the ChatGPT era, Apple Intelligence had a rough start, falling short of expectations. The system’s notification summarization feature generated false and embarrassing headlines, putting the company in a difficult position. For example, when the AI incorrectly reported that a murder suspect had committed suicide or that an athlete had won the championship before the final match had even been played, complaints were received from organizations like the BBC. Furthermore, a promised major update for Siri was postponed indefinitely. Software chief Craig Federighi’s tests just before launch revealed that the features were not working, creating significant disappointment within the company.
According to Bloomberg reports, there are serious communication gaps between the company’s AI and marketing teams. It’s reported that some employees even mocked Giannandrea’s team for using terms that imply “no AI,” and that many researchers have moved to rival companies. During this period, Tim Cook transferred Siri’s management from Giannandrea to Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell in March. It’s rumored that Apple plans to develop Siri using the Gemini model from Google, its former biggest rival. Unlike its competitors, Apple focuses on on-device processing to protect user privacy rather than massive data centers. However, this has resulted in more limited models than its competitors.
So, what are your thoughts on Apple’s AI crisis and leadership change? Do you think Apple can catch up with rivals like Google and Microsoft with its “privacy first” strategy?
