Apple Inc. has experienced a significant exodus of artificial intelligence (AI) talent in recent weeks, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday.
Among those departing is Yinfei Yang, who left Apple to establish a new startup. Additionally, researchers Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang have transitioned to Meta, with You joining Meta’s Superintelligence research division and Wang working on Meta’s recommendation systems.
Meanwhile, Zirui Wang has moved to Google DeepMind, a partner in developing core AI models for Apple’s upcoming features, including an upgraded version of Siri expected to launch later this year.
In another notable departure, Stuart Bowers, a senior executive involved in Siri development, has also left Apple for Google DeepMind. Bowers previously led Apple’s self-driving car project before focusing on enhancing Siri’s response capabilities, reporting to Siri chief Mike Rockwell after his expanded role last year.
These resignations underscore ongoing challenges within Apple’s AI division as the company struggles to retain top talent amid fierce competition. Reports suggest that Apple’s decision to outsource some AI development to Alphabet’s Google has caused dissatisfaction among staff, fueling a talent drain from the tech giant’s AI teams.
As Apple contends with this talent loss, industry analysts highlight the increasing importance of AI innovation in maintaining competitive edge in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.