Core AI talent continues to flow out, Apple loses 4 researchers and a Siri executive again

Media reports indicate that Apple has lost at least four Chinese artificial intelligence researchers in recent weeks, following the departure of a senior executive responsible for Siri. These former employees have joined competitors including Meta and Google DeepMind.

According to reports, the latest departures include Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang. Sources told the media that Yinfei Yang has left to start a new company, while Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang have joined Meta. Insiders indicated that Haoxuan You has joined Meta's Superintelligence research department, while Bailin Wang is working on Meta's recommendation systems.

Analysis suggests that these personnel changes highlight the ongoing turmoil within Apple's AI department. Apple has struggled to keep pace with its peers in the artificial intelligence race, and the company's decision to outsource some technology to Google has sparked dissatisfaction among internal employees. Over the past few months, Apple has experienced a wave of talent loss, particularly concentrated in the AI team.

Among them, media reports state that Zirui Wang will join Google DeepMind. This team is currently assisting Apple in developing core AI models to drive new features, including the underlying technology supporting the upgraded Siri voice assistant set to launch this year.

Additionally, another previously unreported piece of news is that Apple executive Stuart Bowers has also moved to Google DeepMind. He was one of the highest-ranking executives responsible for Siri within Apple.

Before joining the Siri team, Bowers was a key leader in Apple's autonomous vehicle project, which ultimately failed. He then shifted focus to drive reforms in the Siri business. Last year, his responsibilities expanded further to enhance Siri's judgment on how to respond to user queries. In this role, he reported to the new Siri head, Mike Rockwell.

Ongoing Turmoil in the AI Team

Media reports indicate that the challenges Apple faces in the AI field have become one of the significant reasons for the decline in its stock price this year—despite the company's sales continuing to set records. Apple announced impressive financial results on Thursday, with iPhone sales exceeding $85 billion. However, the lack of attractive AI breakthroughs and the ongoing loss of top talent remain major concerns hanging over the company, complicating its efforts to turn the situation around.

These talent losses occurred after Apple underwent a significant reorganization of its AI business last year. CEO Tim Cook removed John Giannandrea, who had long been responsible for AI operations, and transferred related responsibilities to software chief Craig Federighi. Apple also hired former Google and Microsoft AI executive Amar Subramanya to manage part of the AI organization's operations Recently, the employees who left mainly came from Apple's Foundation Models team (AFM). This team is responsible for developing the core technology behind the Apple Intelligence platform. Due to multiple delays in the new version of Siri and the lukewarm response to existing AI features, this team is facing increasing scrutiny. Last summer, the former head of the AFM team, Ruoming Pang, left for Meta. Currently, the team is managed by AI researcher Zhifeng Chen.

As of the end of last year, the AFM team was still overseen by former Google executive Daphne Luong. She was marginalized alongside Giannandrea and remains at Apple, reporting to Giannandrea, but no longer holds specific management responsibilities. Now, both Zhifeng Chen and Apple's AI research and testing teams report to Subramanya.

New AI Versions Developed by Google

Apple is preparing two new versions of Siri. One is an updated version to be released in the short term, capable of using users' personal data to answer questions. The other is a larger-scale upgrade planned for later this year, centered around a chatbot-like interactive interface.

Both versions will run on a completely new architecture, with the related models developed by the Google team. Over the past six months, Apple has lost more than a dozen AI researchers, a significant portion of whom left due to the company's decision to outsource some technologies.

During a conference call on Thursday, when analysts asked why Apple chose to use Google's technology, Cook stated that Google could provide "the most capable foundation" for Apple's AI models.

In the analyst call following the earnings report, he said:

"We believe that through this collaboration, we can unlock a wealth of new experiences and achieve innovation in key areas."

Currently, Apple still uses self-developed models for the Apple Intelligence feature on its devices. Analysts believe that given the intensity of AI competition and the need to create differentiated experiences, Apple is unlikely to rely on external partners in the long term