Apple replaces AI chief, taps ex-Googler to fix Apple Intelligence

John Giannandrea, the man responsible for making Apple Intelligence what it is today, is out. It’s an expected change, as senior management reportedly didn’t believe he could provide the leadership needed to develop critical AI products.

He’s being replaced by Amar Subramanya, whom Apple poached from Microsoft. Before that, he spent many years at Google, where he was head of engineering for the Gemini AI chatbot.

Apple’s AI chief steps down after string of failures

Apple faces mounting pressure in the AI race as it gets left behind by Google, OpenAI and Microsoft. Its Apple Intelligence initiative promised personalized, on-device AI, but mostly remains just that — a promise. It debuted in fall 2024 with limited device compatibility, minimal features, and questions about reliability. Meanwhile, a much-anticipated revamp of the Siri voice assistant got significantly postponed and is now expected in spring 2025.

Much of the blame for the problems got laid at the feet of John Giannandrea. In the spring, he was replaced as head of the project to develop the AI-enhanced version of Siri after CEO Tim Cook reportedly lost confidence in him.

And now he’s out completely. Apple calls it a retirement, but Giannandrea is undoubtedly leaving under a cloud.

Apple brings in fresh leadership to overhaul Apple Intelligence

AI researcher Amar Subramanya joined Apple as vice president of AI on Monday, reporting to Craig Federighi. He’ll be responsible for Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation.

Most recently, Subramanya was vice president of AI at Microsoft — a position he’d held only since July. Previously, he spent 16 years at Google. His last post was VP of engineering for Gemini, the company’s world-class AI tool.

“AI has long been central to Apple’s strategy, and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple,” said Cook.

He is not taking over the development of the AI-enhanced Siri. It seems Mike Rockwell will continue in the role he’s held since it was taken from Giannandrea in the spring. Plus, in a statement on Monday, Cook emphasized the central role of Craig Federighi.

“In addition to growing his leadership team and AI responsibilities with Amar’s joining, Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalized Siri to users next year,” remarked Apple’s CEO.

Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.