In addition to losing a senior Siri executive, Apple has seen at least four more artificial intelligence researchers depart in recent weeks, with these employees moving to employers including Meta Platforms Inc. and Google DeepMind.
The latest departures include Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang. According to informed sources, Yang left to start a new company, while You and Bailin Wang joined Meta. You is joining Meta's "Superintelligence" research unit. The sources requested anonymity as the personnel changes have not been publicly disclosed.
These departures highlight the ongoing turbulence within Apple's artificial intelligence division. The company has struggled to keep pace with its peers in the AI race, and its decision to outsource some technology to Alphabet Inc.'s Google has also caused dissatisfaction among employees. Apple has experienced a continuous brain drain in recent months, a trend particularly pronounced within its AI team.
Zirui Wang will join Google DeepMind, the team that is assisting Apple in building the core AI model that will support new features. This includes the technology underpinning a new version of the Siri voice assistant set for release this year.
In another previously unreported move, Apple executive Stuart Bowers has also switched to Google DeepMind. He was formerly one of the most senior executives responsible for Siri at Apple.
Spokespersons for Apple, Google, and Meta all declined to comment.
Comments