Apple Faces Brain Drain as AI Researchers, Siri Leader Depart

Along with a senior Siri executive, Apple Inc. has lost at least four additional AI researchers in recent weeks. The employees have left for companies like Google DeepMind and Meta Platforms Inc. Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang are among the most recent departures. According to various media reports, You and Bailin Wang joined Meta, while Yang departed to launch a new business. You left for Meta's Superintelligence research arm, and Bailin Wang is working on Meta recommendations."

Apple Facing Strong Turmoil in its AI Division

The departures underline the persistent instability within Apple’s AI business. The company has encountered challenges in maintaining its competitive edge in the artificial intelligence sector. The decision to outsource certain technologies to Alphabet Inc.'s Google has caused dissatisfaction among employees. The corporation has experienced a personnel migration in recent months, particularly from its AI ranks. For Zirui Wang, the researcher is collaborating with Google DeepMind, which is assisting Apple in the development of the fundamental AI models that will underpin new features.

That includes the technology underlying an enhanced version of the Siri speech assistant that’s launching this year. Stuart Bowers, an Apple executive, also left for Google DeepMind in an unreported development. Among the organisation's most senior administrators, he was engaged in the development of Siri. Prior to becoming one of the managers responsible for reviving Apple's voice assistant, Bowers was a key player in the company's unsuccessful self-driving car project. Last year, he was granted a more extensive role, which involved the development of Siri's capacity to determine the appropriate response to a user. He was responsible for reporting to the newly appointed Siri chief, Mike Rockwell, in that capacity.

Why Apple is Witnessing this Exodus of Talent?

Apple's Foundation Models, or AFM, team, which is responsible for the development of the technology that underpins the Apple Intelligence platform, has had several recent personnel departures. Following many delays for the new Siri and a lacklustre response to Apple's present AI features, the organisation has come under increasing scrutiny.

The team's former leader, Ruoming Pang, was replaced by Meta sometime during the summer. Zhifeng Chen, an AI researcher, is currently in charge of it. Daphne Luong, a former Google executive, had been in charge of the AFM team till the end of last year. Alongside Giannandrea, she was sidelined. Subramanya now supervises Chen and Apple's AI research and testing teams. Two new variants of Siri are currently being developed by the organisation. One is a short-term update that will use personal information to respond to questions. The other is a more comprehensive redesign centred on a chatbot-style interface that is scheduled for later this year.