- Apple SVP of AI and Machine Learning Strategy John Giannandrea to Retire in Spring 2026
- Amar Subramanya named replacement to lead revamped Siri with Craig Federighi
- Subramanya spent six months as CVP of AI at Microsoft and almost six years working on Gemini/Bard for Google.
Apple has announced that Senior Vice President of AI and Machine Learning Strategy John Giannandrea will step down after nearly eight years in the role.
Giannandrea will remain as an advisor until spring 2026, when he will be replaced by Amar Subramanya, who will become the company’s vice president of artificial intelligence and report to Craig Federighi.
With the move, Subramanya will lead Apple Foundation models, machine learning research, and AI security and assessment.
Apple’s VP of AI/ML to retire in 2026
Apple credited Giannandrea for building a “world-class team” and developing and implementing “critical AI technologies.”
It’s unconfirmed whether the change comes in response to industry pressure, but Apple has certainly received its fair share of criticism for falling behind the competition when it comes to AI.
Part of Apple’s slowness is due to its preference for on-device processing rather than cloud-based systems. Private Cloud Compute closes that gap, but the Cupertino giant also struck a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri. Rumors about a similar deal with Google have also circulated online in recent weeks.
Federighi has already played an important role in the evolution of Apple’s AI strategy, including working on a more personalized Siri, although that has already been delayed until 2026.
Subramanya joins with a wealth of experience, coming from a VP of AI role at Microsoft and 16 years at Google, where he also led AI products such as Gemini.
“AI has long been a core element of Apple’s strategy and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team and bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple,” said CEO Tim Cook.
Apple says the changes will help it “continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.” Apple shares rose about 1.6% following the announcement.
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