Leadership Change After Years of Stumbles
Apple confirmed Monday that John Giannandrea, who has overseen the company’s AI operations since 2018, is stepping down and will shift into an advisory role through spring. The departure follows a turbulent period for Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy and marks the most significant leadership shake-up since the launch of Apple Intelligence in late 2024.
Giannandrea will be succeeded by Amar Subramanya, a prominent Microsoft executive who previously spent 16 years at Google and most recently led engineering for the Gemini Assistant. His move to Apple brings deep familiarity with the company’s toughest AI competitors, signaling an effort to stabilize internal teams and accelerate long-delayed initiatives.
Apple Intelligence Missteps Set the Stage
Apple Intelligence was introduced as the company’s answer to rapid advances by rivals, but its rollout quickly encountered problems. A notification summary tool produced several false and widely circulated headlines in late 2024 and early 2025, prompting complaints from major news outlets. Issues ranged from inaccurately reporting events involving high-profile criminal cases to prematurely declaring sports results.
Siri’s overhaul, initially promoted as a defining upgrade for the iPhone 16 lineup, spiraled into a major setback. According to a detailed Bloomberg investigation, internal testing weeks before launch revealed that key features simply did not work. Apple delayed the release indefinitely, sparking class-action lawsuits from customers who had purchased the new devices expecting an AI-enhanced assistant.
Internal Strain and Talent Loss Intensify Pressure
The same investigation described widespread dysfunction inside Apple’s AI organization, including poor communication between engineering and marketing teams and disagreements over budgets and priorities. Senior roles were quietly reassigned earlier this year: Siri was moved under Vision Pro leader Mike Rockwell, and Apple’s covert robotics efforts were also removed from Giannandrea’s oversight.
Morale issues compounded the challenges. Teams reportedly began referring to themselves as “AI/MLess,” a reflection of deep frustration. Several Apple researchers left for competitors such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, worsening talent shortages during a critical moment for the company’s AI ambitions.
Turning to Google for Help Raises Strategic Questions
In an unexpected shift, Apple is now preparing to integrate Google’s Gemini technology into the next generation of Siri. The move underscores the company’s struggle to match the AI capabilities of rivals and represents a remarkable pivot given the longstanding rivalry between the two firms across nearly every consumer technology category.
Subramanya will now lead Apple’s machine learning infrastructure, AI strategy, and Siri development, reporting directly to software chief Craig Federighi. His mandate is clear: rebuild momentum and restore credibility in an area where Apple has fallen behind.
Balancing Privacy and AI Power
Apple’s AI strategy relies heavily on local processing through Apple Silicon, prioritizing privacy by keeping data on-device whenever possible. More demanding tasks are sent to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, designed to process information temporarily without storage. While the approach aligns with Apple’s privacy commitments, it limits model size and training potential compared with cloud-based systems used by competitors.
Whether Apple’s privacy-first strategy becomes a competitive strength or a limitation remains an open question. As global demand for powerful AI tools accelerates, the company faces a pivotal test: modernize its AI capabilities without abandoning the principles that define its brand.
