Apple Inc. is set to transfer its covert robotics team from under the leadership of its artificial intelligence chief, moving it to the hardware division later this month. This decision, revealed by individuals familiar with the matter who requested anonymity as the change has not been officially announced, will place the team under the supervision of Senior Vice President John Ternus, who manages hardware engineering.
This transition marks the second significant project removed from John Giannandrea’s charge within the past month. Previously, the company reassigned the struggling Siri voice assistant away from his supervision in March. These adjustments are part of Apple’s larger strategy to improve its stance in the artificial intelligence sector, where it has been trailing competitors like Alphabet Inc.’s Google and OpenAI.
John Giannandrea, a former executive at Google and the current Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy at Apple, will continue to direct most of the company’s AI initiatives. This reallocation is intended to allow his team to concentrate on foundational artificial intelligence technologies.
Apple’s spokesperson in Cupertino, California, opted not to comment on the situation.
The engineering team responsible for Siri has been transitioned to Mike Rockwell, who formerly directed hardware and software development for the Vision Pro headset. As part of this management realignment, Rockwell maintains control over the visionOS operating system, and according to a recent Bloomberg News report, he is in the process of revitalizing Siri’s management with senior deputies from the Vision Pro team.
In contrast, the robotics team operates more behind the scenes, focusing on integrating AI technologies to enhance devices, with potential developments for new product categories. This team, led by veteran executive Kevin Lynch, who previously handled Apple Watch software and the now-defunct self-driving car project, is working on advancements such as a tabletop robot with an artificial limb maneuvering an iPad-like display. The team is also exploring future developments like mobile robots similar to Amazon’s Astro, intended as telepresence devices for videoconferencing.
The robotics industry is rapidly gaining traction in Silicon Valley, attracting significant investment from companies like Tesla Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. For Apple, missing out on another AI-driven category is not an option, especially after withdrawing from its self-driving car plans and entering the smart home market later than competitors.
Key Apple executives are confident in Ternus’ capability to lead the project. As one of CEO Tim Cook’s most trusted advisors, Ternus oversees hardware engineering for major products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and is considered by many employees as a potential successor to Cook.
With Ternus now overseeing a hardware engineering team led by Matt Costello and Brian Lynch, the restructuring indicates Apple’s intention to consolidate efforts in robotics and smart home technologies under a unified leadership. This oversight also grants Ternus control over essential AI operating system and algorithms teams, typically not managed by the hardware engineering department.
For Giannandrea, these adjustments represent a reduction in responsibilities following significant delays in key Siri features and the lukewarm reception of the Apple Intelligence platform. He has relinquished hundreds of engineers to Ternus, Rockwell, and software chief Craig Federighi in light of Cook’s diminishing confidence in his product development capabilities.
Ultimately, these changes enable Giannandrea’s group to concentrate on developing core models intended to power future Apple products, including updates to Apple Intelligence and Siri. However, within the company, there have been criticisms regarding the AI and machine learning group, sometimes referred to mockingly as “AI/MLess,” due to previous delays in promising Siri features. During an all-hands meeting last month, Robby Walker, the former head of Siri under Giannandrea, described the situation as “ugly” and “embarrassing.”
While Giannandrea has not indicated any plans to leave his position, the ongoing redistribution of his responsibilities has led to speculation about Apple’s preparations for his potential departure. Eight years after consolidating Apple’s AI teams under Giannandrea’s leadership, there is increasing talk of a possible separation of the AI and ML team.
