Cupertino, California – Apple Inc. announced a major leadership change in its artificial intelligence division this week. John Giannandrea, the company's senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, is stepping down from his role and will retire in spring 2026. This move follows a period where Apple's AI efforts, particularly with its voice assistant Siri, have faced criticism for lagging behind rivals.
Apple Shifts AI Strategy
Apple confirmed Giannandrea will transition to an advisory role before his full retirement next spring. The company has appointed Amar Subramanya, an Indian-origin veteran AI researcher, as the new Vice President of AI. Subramanya will report to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, indicating a significant shift in the company's AI leadership structure.
Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 from Google, tasked with improving Siri and leading the company's overall AI strategy. His seven-year tenure saw him build the foundation of Apple's modern AI team. However, under his leadership, Apple was perceived to be slow in adopting generative AI, entering the space roughly two years after OpenAI's ChatGPT gained widespread attention. This delay and the perceived subpar performance of the Apple Intelligence platform contributed to a "tumultuous tenure" for Giannandrea.
Siri Delays and Internal Struggles
A major point of contention has been the delayed overhaul of Siri. Apple had promised an upgraded version of Siri with iOS 18 in June 2024 but later publicly delayed its release until 2026. Reports suggest that indecision within Giannandrea's team led to these delays, with his group sometimes referred to internally as "AIMLess". There were also reports of "turf wars" and growing resentment between Giannandrea's AI group and Federighi's software engineering team.
Earlier this year, in March 2025, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly removed Siri from Giannandrea's direct control, shifting its development to Mike Rockwell, who now reports to Craig Federighi. The company's secretive robotics division was also moved from Giannandrea's oversight to hardware engineering chief John Ternus in April 2025, further signaling a loss of confidence in his ability to deliver products.
Apple CEO Tim Cook thanked Giannandrea for his contributions. "We are thankful for the role John played in building and advancing our AI work, helping Apple continue to innovate and enrich the lives of our users," Cook said in a statement.
New Leadership and Focus
Amar Subramanya brings extensive experience to his new role at Apple. He previously served as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft and spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for the Gemini Assistant. He will now lead critical areas including Apple Foundation Models, machine learning research, and AI Safety and Evaluation.
The restructuring means Apple will not directly replace Giannandrea. Instead, his former team will be decentralized, with parts reporting to Craig Federighi, Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan, and Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue. This reorganization aims to better align AI development with existing product groups and accelerate Apple's progress in the competitive AI landscape.
Subramanya's appointment and the new organizational structure highlight Apple's renewed focus on catching up in the generative AI race. With a seasoned executive known for his work on leading AI models at other tech giants, Apple hopes to deliver on its promise of a more personalized Siri and other advanced AI features in the coming years. The company aims to debut an upgraded Siri in spring 2026, coinciding with Giannandrea's full retirement.
