Apple AI executive Robby Walker exits amid talent exodus to Meta

Apple’s senior AI executive Robby Walker is departing the company next month, marking another high-profile exit from the tech giant’s artificial intelligence division. Walker’s departure underscores growing concerns about Apple’s cautious AI strategy as the company struggles to keep pace with competitors in what could be the industry’s most significant growth opportunity in decades.

What you should know: Walker has been a key figure in Apple’s AI efforts, most recently serving as senior director of the Answers, Information and Knowledge team since April 2024.

• He previously managed Siri until earlier this year, when responsibility for the voice assistant was transferred to software chief Craig Federighi.
• Walker joined Apple in 2013 and is planning his exit for next month, according to Bloomberg News.

The big picture: Apple’s AI leadership exodus reflects deeper challenges with the company’s measured approach to artificial intelligence deployment.

• The company was slow to roll out its Apple Intelligence suite, including ChatGPT integration, while a long-awaited AI upgrade to Siri has been delayed until next year.
• At last week’s annual product launch event, Apple introduced upgraded iPhones but provided little evidence of how it plans to close the AI gap with competitors like Google, which showcased advanced Gemini AI capabilities in its flagship phones.

Who else is involved: Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, has been aggressively recruiting Apple’s AI talent, creating a significant brain drain for the iPhone maker.

• Ruoming Pang, Apple’s top executive in charge of AI models, left for Meta in July according to Bloomberg.
• Meta has also hired two other Apple AI researchers, Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, who worked closely with Pang for its Superintelligence Labs team.

Leadership shake-up: Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly lost confidence in AI head John Giannandrea’s ability to execute product development.

• Mike Rockwell, vice president of the Vision Products Group, is now in charge of the Siri virtual assistant, according to a March Bloomberg report.
• This leadership restructuring highlights internal tensions around Apple’s AI strategy and execution.

Why this matters: The departures signal potential instability in Apple’s AI division at a critical moment when the company needs to accelerate its artificial intelligence capabilities to remain competitive in the smartphone market and broader tech ecosystem.