Tim Cook lost confidence in Apple's AI chief — can ex-Microsoft CVP push Apple Intelligence beyond trivial features?

Competition in the generative AI landscape is becoming fierce, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declaring "code red" as Google's Gemini 3 threatens ChatGPT's massive market share. But Google isn't the only top AI research lab making significant leaps in the ever-evolving sector amid claims that we're in an bubble, which could burst anytime.

Apple might be consider a late-bloomer in the AI landscape compared to its rivals like OpenAI, which Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella claims had a 2-year runway to build ChatGPT uncontested. Until now, the iPhone maker has only shared shiny demos, highlighting what users should expect from its Apple Intelligence strategy. However, it has only delivered trivial AI features like Writing Tools.

However, the company is making strategic moves to ensure that it is equipped with the best AI talent to bolster its AI advances and development. More recently, Apple hired Amar Subramanya, who served as the Corporate Vice President at Microsoft AI.

Perhaps more interestingly, Subramanya was only at Microsoft four months after departing from Google, where he worked as the Vice President of Engineering for over 16 years.

Subramanya is now Apple's Vice President of AI. Coincidentally, his appointment comes after Apple announced that John Giannandrea retirement as senior vice president for machine learning and AI at Apple.

He'll report to Craig Federighi and will help spearhead critical operations within Apple, including Apple Foundation Models, ML research, AI Safety and Evaluation.

According to Apple:

"Subramanya brings a wealth of experience to Apple, having most recently served as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft, and previously spending 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Google’s Gemini Assistant prior to his departure. His deep expertise in both AI and ML research and in integrating that research into products and features will be important to Apple’s ongoing innovation and future Apple Intelligence features."

The change in Apple's AI leadership doesn't entirely comes as a surprise. The iPhone maker has faced major challenges and setbacks in the AI space, making it difficult to compete against rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI.

According to a Bloomberg report from earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted that he had "lost confidence in the ability of AI head John Giannandrea to execute on product development," prompting him to discharge Siri's revamp to other executives.

Apple reshuffling leadership in it AI division is expected to expedite advances in the landscape, possibly allowing it to catch-up with its competitors. The company's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, and Global VP of Marketing, Greg Joswiak revealed that they were developing to versions of the revamped Siri simultaneously, but both fell below expectations, making it difficult to deliver Apple Intelligence within the communicated timeline.

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