Apple AI chief John Giannandrea retires; former Microsoft AI researcher joins as VP of AI

Apple has announced a major shake-up within its AI team, confirming that its current AI chief, John Giannandrea, is retiring. At the same time, the company is bringing in a former Microsoft AI researcher.

In its press release, Apple stated that Giannandrea will step down and transition into an advisory role before officially retiring in the spring of 2026. Giannandrea, who joined Apple in 2018, has played “a key role in the company’s AI and machine learning (ML) strategy.” Before joining Apple, he served as Google’s Senior Vice President for Search.

His retirement, while significant, does not come entirely as a surprise. Apple has faced multiple setbacks in rolling out Apple Intelligence and a more advanced, personalised Siri – initiatives that were expected to be central pillars of the company’s AI roadmap, but have yet to come to fruition. Giannandrea’s planned departure coincides with the anticipated rollout of iOS 26.4, which will introduce the upgraded Siri.

In other news, Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya, a former Microsoft AI researcher, as its new VP of AI, reporting directly to Craig Federighi. Subramanya will oversee Apple’s Foundation Models, ML research, AI Safety and Evaluation, and several other critical projects.

His background is extensive: before his recent work at Microsoft, Subramanya spent 16 years at Google, where he served as the head of engineering for the Gemini assistant – the very AI model Apple is reportedly paying US$1 billion to use to power the next-generation Siri.

This leadership change marks a pivotal moment for Apple as it attempts to catch up with the competition in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. With new leadership stepping in and a major Siri overhaul on the horizon, Apple appears poised to reposition itself for the next phase of AI innovation – though it remains to be seen whether these changes will be enough to close the widening gap with its competitors.

Source: Apple