Apple’s AI executives keep leaving for Meta

There’s no doubt about it. When compared with their competitors, Apple is behind in the AI race. Companies like Google and Microsoft have already established artificial intelligence into the core of many products and features. Apple, on the other hand, has struggled in getting its own Apple Intelligence into the hands of consumers, some of whom are now suing the company over false advertising of those AI features.

Apple’s attempts to catch up in the AI space are hitting major roadblocks too. Case in point, yet another Apple AI executive has been poached by Meta, the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Ke Yang, Apple’s newly-appointed head of Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) is leaving the company for Meta. Yang had just recently been promoted into the role as of a few weeks ago, according to the report.

Apple’s AKI team is working on the company’s new ChatGPT-esque AI search product, including the long-awaited AI-upgrade to the iPhone’s Siri voice assistant. The AI search feature will allow Siri to search for real-time information from the web and incorporate that into its responses to users.

Yang was promoted to the head of AKI after Apple’s previous senior director of the team, Robby Walker, announced he was leaving the company just last month. 

While it’s unclear where Walker is headed at this time, he’s far from the first Apple AI executive to depart the company. And, much like Yang, many of those departing are headed to Meta.

As 9to5Mac points out, Apple’s former Lead AI Researcher for Robotics Jian Zhang, Apple’s former AI models head Ruoming Pang, and Apple’s AI lead on cloud infrastructure, training and search Frank Chu have all left for Meta over the past few months.

Apple is hoping its upcoming Apple Intelligence features, along with the upgraded Siri, will catch the company up when it comes to AI. If not, we may see even more departures from Apple’s AI team.