Apple announced on Monday that John Giannandrea, senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, will step down early next year. His role will be assumed by Amar Subramanya, a veteran engineer with experience at Microsoft and Google, as the company intensifies efforts to compete in artificial intelligence. Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed gratitude for Giannandrea’s contributions, stating, “We are thankful for the role John played in building and advancing our AI work.” Amar Subramanya joins Apple as a vice president and will oversee “critical areas,” including AI foundation models and machine learning, according to the company. Subramanya was most recently corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft and previously spent 16 years at Google, where he led engineering for the Gemini digital assistant. Apple highlighted Subramanya’s expertise in integrating AI into features and products as key to the company’s ongoing innovation and the development of future Apple Intelligence features. Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 to head the company’s AI initiatives. Earlier this year, Apple delayed the release of an improved Siri digital assistant, now scheduled for next year, while competitors like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI continue to launch increasingly advanced AI models and features. Apple has been under pressure to demonstrate it is keeping pace in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, which is reshaping how people interact with technology. Cook emphasized that AI remains “central to Apple’s strategy,” noting that Subramanya will bring “extraordinary AI expertise” to his new role, reporting to Craig Federighi, senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year,” Cook said. On a recent earnings call, Cook touted the latest Apple devices and the tech giant’s custom chips and efforts to enhance products and services with artificial intelligence.
Apple’s AI Head Departs Amid Company’s Push to Compete in AI
