Apple's AI Ambitions Suffer Setback as Key Executive Joins Meta

Apple loses another AI exec to Meta | TechCrunch

Ke Yang, the Apple executive leading the iPhone-maker's efforts to build AI-driven web search, is heading to Meta, according to a Bloomberg report. Yang's departure marks the latest in a string of exits from Apple's AI unit, putting the company into jeopardy in the lead up to a much-anticipated Siri revamp scheduled for March. Rouming Pang, Apple's former head of AI models, left for Meta earlier this year. Roughly a dozen team members on Apple's AIML (AI and machine learning) team also left the company. Several members joined Meta's new Superintelligence Labs. A few weeks ago, Yang began overseeing the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, which is tasked with improving Siri's functionality by allowing it to pull information from the web so Apple can better compete with rivals in the AI search market, like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google. The new Siri also promises to be able to tap into personal data for more complex tasks. Bloomberg reports that Apple's remaining team members expect more AI team members to jump ship in the coming months. TechCrunch has reached out to Apple and Meta for comment.

Apple's Newly Tapped Head of ChatGPT-Like AI Search Effort to Leave for Meta

The Apple Inc. executive leading an effort to develop AI-driven web search is stepping down, marking the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the company's artificial intelligence division. The executive, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta Platforms Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, he was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI. The group is developing features to make the Siri voice assistant more ChatGPT-like by adding the ability to pull information from the web.

Meta poaches Apple's newly appointed head of AI search project - 9to5Mac

Meta's streak of hiring high-profile executives from Apple's AI team continues, with the company reportedly poaching Ke Yang, who had only recently been appointed to lead Apple's rumored ChatGPT-like search project. Here are the details. In recent months, Apple has lost several machine learning researchers and executives to AI rivals, including Anthropic, OpenAI, and, notably, Meta, which has been on a hiring spree across Silicon Valley. That includes Jian Zhang, Apple's former Lead AI Researcher for Robotics; Ruoming Pang, who led Apple's foundation models team; and Frank Chu, who reportedly oversaw Apple AI's work on cloud infrastructure, training, and search, just a few of the names who have recently defected to Menlo Park. Soon, they will be joined by another ex-colleague, as reported by Bloomberg: "The executive, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta Platforms Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, he was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI. The group is developing features to make the Siri voice assistant more ChatGPT-like by adding the ability to pull information from the web." The AKI group was formed earlier this year, and had reportedly been "exploring a number of in-house AI services with the goal of creating a new ChatGPT-like search experience." Yang had recently been put in charge of the entire AKI team, rather than just the Answers feature, following an internal shake-up that led to the departure of Robby Walker. Walker had been leading the much-troubled Siri revamp and had more recently been put in charge of the AKI group. Just last month, Bloomberg reported that he would leave the company, which is when Apple appointed Yang to take over the team. With Yang's departure to Meta, it's unclear who will now lead the AKI group. Yang had been reporting directly to John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of AI, whom the company has reportedly been looking to replace. Giannandrea's role in Apple's AI efforts has been significantly reduced over the past year, following the company's missteps with the delayed and heavily staggered rollout of Apple Intelligence features, including the revamped Siri that is reportedly planned (but increasingly less likely) to be launched next March.

Head of Apple's AI Search Project Leaves to Join Meta

Apple's artificial intelligence division has lost another senior executive, with Ke Yang, who was recently appointed to lead the company's AI-driven web search effort, departing for Meta, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Yang had only recently taken over Apple's newly created Answers, Knowledge, and Information group, known internally as "AKI." The team is responsible for developing technology to make Siri more ChatGPT-like, including the ability to retrieve live information from the web. The AKI project is said to be a central component of Apple's planned Siri overhaul, which is currently scheduled for release in March 2026. The update is said to include features that were delayed from earlier this year, such as allowing Siri to access personal data and handle more complex, multi-step requests. Yang's promotion to head of AKI came just weeks ago following the departure of Robby Walker, another longtime Apple executive who had been leading the group. Yang had previously overseen the search-focused portion of AKI before being elevated to lead the division in full, reporting directly to John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy. With Yang's exit, the AKI team will now report to Benoit Dupin, one of Giannandrea's deputies responsible for Apple's machine learning infrastructure. The AKI project has reportedly become a major element of Apple's efforts to close the gap with rivals such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google Gemini, all of which have made rapid advances in AI-powered search and conversational interfaces. Gurman describes the Answers feature as a new layer of Siri designed to synthesize responses from live internet data, allowing it to deliver up-to-date answers and contextual information. Yang's departure is the latest in a growing series of exits from Apple's artificial intelligence division, which has reportedly seen more than a dozen senior researchers and engineers leave this year alone. Many of those departures were from the company's Foundation Models team, which is tasked with developing Apple's core generative AI models. That unit was led by Ruoming Pang, who also left for Meta earlier this year to help establish a new research division known as Superintelligence Labs.

Apple's AI executives keep leaving for Meta

There's no doubt about it. When compared with their competitors, Apple is behind in the AI race. Companies like Google and Microsoft have already established artificial intelligence into the core of many products and features. Apple, on the other hand, has struggled in getting its own Apple Intelligence into the hands of consumers, some of whom are now suing the company over false advertising of those AI features. Apple's attempts to catch up in the AI space are hitting major roadblocks too. Case in point, yet another Apple AI executive has been poached by Meta, the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Ke Yang, Apple's newly-appointed head of Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) is leaving the company for Meta. Yang had just recently been promoted into the role as of a few weeks ago, according to the report. Apple's AKI team is working on the company's new ChatGPT-esque AI search product, including the long-awaited AI-upgrade to the iPhone's Siri voice assistant. The AI search feature will allow Siri to search for real-time information from the web and incorporate that into its responses to users. Yang was promoted to the head of AKI after Apple's previous senior director of the team, Robby Walker, announced he was leaving the company just last month. While it's unclear where Walker is headed at this time, he's far from the first Apple AI executive to depart the company. And, much like Yang, many of those departing are headed to Meta. As 9to5Mac points out, Apple's former Lead AI Researcher for Robotics Jian Zhang, Apple's former AI models head Ruoming Pang, and Apple's AI lead on cloud infrastructure, training and search Frank Chu have all left for Meta over the past few months. Apple is hoping its upcoming Apple Intelligence features, along with the upgraded Siri, will catch the company up when it comes to AI. If not, we may see even more departures from Apple's AI team.

Meta poaches engineer from Apple

Why it matters: It's the latest sign that Meta is not done with its recruiting spree, as Axios noted earlier this week following the hiring of Thinking Machine Labs co-founder Andrew Tulloch. * Yang will be part of a unit that focuses on turning AI research into consumer products inside Meta's Superintelligence Labs, a source told Axios. * A Meta representative declined to comment and an Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. * Yang's hiring was first reported by Bloomberg earlier on Wednesday. Between the lines: Yang is leaving Apple just weeks after being tapped to lead its Answers, Knowledge and Information team, which is working to develop a more powerful Siri assistant, per Bloomberg.

Apple AI executive Ke Yang jumps to Meta

Only a few weeks ago, Yang had started to oversee the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team. Ke Yang, an Apple executive leading AI-driven web search initiatives, has departed the company to join Meta. According to a Bloomberg report, this move is the latest in a series of exits from Apple's AI unit, jeopardizing a planned Siri revamp. The departure follows that of Ruoming Pang, Apple's former head of AI models, who also moved to Meta earlier this year. Roughly a dozen members from Apple's AI and machine learning (AIML) team have also left the company, with several of them joining Meta's new Superintelligence Labs. The Bloomberg report added that Apple's remaining AI team members anticipate more colleagues will leave in the coming months. Only a few weeks ago, Yang had started to oversee the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team. This group is tasked with improving Siri's capabilities by allowing it to retrieve information from the web, positioning Apple to better compete with rivals such as OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google. The highly-anticipated Siri update, scheduled for March, is also expected to enable the assistant to tap into personal data to handle more complex tasks.

Apple Intelligence Faces Setback As Key AI Executive Leaves for Meta - Phandroid

Apple has suffered another Apple Intelligence setback as Ke Yang, the executive leading the company's AI search initiative, has left to join Meta. According to Bloomberg, Yang was recently promoted to head Apple's Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, a division tasked with transforming Siri into a ChatGPT-like assistant. Yang's exit comes just weeks after his promotion, marking the 12th key departure from Apple's AI division this year. The timing poses challenges for Apple's 2026 Siri overhaul, which aims to roll out generative AI-powered updates. Apple previously delayed personalized Siri features to 2026 after missing its original 2025 timeline. Internally, Yang and his team were working directly under John Giannandrea, Apple's SVP of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. With his departure, leadership of AKI temporarily shifts to Benoit Dupin, Giannandrea's deputy. For Meta, Yang's arrival strengthens its Superintelligence Labs, a division focused on developing foundational AI systems for virtual assistant and AR/VR integration. This Apple Intelligence setback is part of Meta's broader recruitment spree, which has poached multiple Apple AI experts since July. The company offers multimillion-dollar packages and high autonomy. Apple admitted AI shortcomings earlier this year when it pulled ads showing off Siri upgrades. Yang's departure could further slow Apple's Siri relaunch. Bloomberg reports that some of Siri's planned 2025 features, such as better contextual understanding, have been postponed to March 2026. Apple built a ChatGPT-style app to test new Siri features, but the app remains internal only.

Meta Reportedly Poaches Apple Executive Behind Siri Overhaul

He was said to be reporting to Apple SVP of AI, John Giannandrea Apple executive tasked with developing a key feature for the planned Siri revamp is reporting leaving the company for Meta. As per the report, Ke Yang, the Senior Director of Machine Learning at Apple, was appointed the head of a team that was developing a feature that would allow Siri to pull information from the web and present it conversationally, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Meta's reported poaching of the artificial intelligence (AI) talent could pose further challenges for Apple as it works to ready its AI-powered version of Siri in time. Apple Reportedly Loses Key AI Talent to Meta According to a Bloomberg report, Yang is stepping down from his position to join Meta in the coming days. Citing unnamed people with knowledge of the matter, the report claimed that he was appointed the head of a team dubbed "Answers, Knowledge and Information" or AKI. This team was reportedly developing functionalities and features to make Siri's responses similar to ChatGPT. In particular, it is said that Yang's focus was to build an AI-powered web search feature, allowing Siri to pull information similar to ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI chatbots. While the voice assistant can still scour the Internet, the search results it surfaces are very surface-level, and the presentation is not conversational. The AI-powered web search feature was reportedly being developed to let Apple compete with players such as Google, Perplexity, and OpenAI in the AI search market. With the rise of AI, many companies are now tapping into this space to bypass Google's dominance. The revamped Siri project is reportedly a collaboration between Apple's AI and machine learning group (AIML) and the Siri engineering team. Yang belongs to the former and was a direct reportee to John Giannandrea, the Senior Vice President of AIML. On the other hand, the Siri engineering team is part of the software organisation, which is headed by Craig Federighi. The report claims that Yang was believed to be the most important employee working on the Siri revamp project. His departure marks the ongoing trend of the company's AI researchers exiting to join rivals. Notably, the report claims that more than 10 members of the Apple Foundation Models team, including the lead scientist, Ruoming Pang. All of them reportedly joined Meta.

Another Apple executive leaves for Meta as AI talent war heats up: Bloomberg News - The Economic Times

Apple's Ke Yang, the newly tapped executive leading an effort to develop a ChatGPT-like AI-driven web search, is stepping down to join Meta, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, Yang was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI, which is central to the Siri voice assistant's overhaul, planned for March, the report said. Apple, Meta and Yang did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Yang has been with Apple since 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. Meta has intensified Silicon Valley's talent war through aggressive hiring aiming to challenge rivals, including OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, as the tech firms pour significant investment into AI in the race to superintelligence. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company had poached top AI executives from the iPhone maker before, including Robby Walker and Ruoming Pang, as earlier reported by Bloomberg News. (Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

Meta Poaches Apple's AI Executive Who Was Developing ChatGPT-Like Web Search For Siri

In what comes as a material blow to Apple's still-nebulous AI efforts, Meta has reportedly poached a key executive who was spearheading the Cupertino giant's efforts to make Siri a lot more productive. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is now reporting that Ke Yang, who was appointed the head of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team only weeks earlier, is reportedly leaving for a lucrative stint at Meta Platforms Inc. Critically, the AKI team has been working on equipping Apple's bespoke voice assistant, Siri, with the ability to pull user-requested information directly from the web, akin to what OpenAI's LLMs now do as a matter of routine. This development is, of course, a material blow to Apple's still-fledgling AI efforts. Even so, the Cupertino giant has come a long way from October 2024, when it first rolled out some key AI abilities, sans the most eagerly awaited ones - in-app actions and personal context awareness. Of course, Apple has done a lot lately to overcome its AI-related deficits, including: Moreover, the Cupertino giant is expected to launch the following features in the next few months:

Apple AI Crises Deepen as Search Exec Ke Yang Moves to Meta | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Ke Yang, who led Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, known internally as AKI, is departing after only weeks in the role, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (Oct. 15). The AKI group sits within Apple's artificial intelligence and machine learning division and is responsible for developing the company's AI-driven search and reasoning capabilities. Its mission is to enable Siri to retrieve live web data and produce factual responses rather than relying solely on preloaded information, a step designed to bring Apple's voice assistant closer to OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini models. Yang's exit adds to a growing list of high-profile departures from Apple's AI and machine learning organization. Roughly a dozen members of the Apple Foundation Models team, including its founder and lead scientist Ruoming Pang, have left the company this year, per the report. Many of them have joined Meta's new Superintelligence Labs division, which is building large-scale reasoning and multimodal AI systems. It was reported Sunday (Oct. 12) that Meta recruited Thinking Machines co-founder and AI researcher Andrew Tulloch, one of several executives Meta has hired to strengthen its advanced AI research group. In July, Meta added Mark Lee and Tom Gunter, AI researchers who had worked for Apple. Together, the exits underscore how Meta's Superintelligence Labs hiring drive has intensified competition for AI researchers as Apple works to close the gap with OpenAI, Google and other leaders in generative search and conversational computing. At Apple, Yang's team played a central role in a major Siri update planned for March 2026, the Bloomberg report said. The upcoming version is expected to include the ability to pull personal and third-party data to handle more complex requests. Yang had reported to John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of AI and machine learning, and assumed leadership of AKI after the departure of Robby Walker, another senior AI executive. Oversight of the AKI group will now shift to Benoit Dupin, who manages Apple's machine learning cloud infrastructure, according to the report.

Apple Loses Key Siri Strategist to Meta Amid Growing AI Rivalry

Meta has successfully executed another high-profile acquisition. The tech giant has hired Ke Yang, a Siri expert, to lead the new Superintelligence Labs' AI innovations. Almost every competitor in the field of AI is now aiming to dominate the upcoming era of technology, as AI talent war continues to be the main agenda. Yang has been an integral part of Apple's AI model for the past six years. According to his LinkedIn profile, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and emerged as a key figure in the global tech landscape. He was appointed as the head of the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team, which is central to the Siri voice assistant's overhaul planned for March. Yang's work was focused on developing AI-driven web search capabilities to elevate the Siri voice assistant to a new level of sophistication. Yang led a team to transform Siri into a more intelligent and competitive virtual assistant by integrating advanced artificial intelligence similar to ChatGPT. This initiative forms part of a major Siri revamp, central to Apple's broader effort to rejuvenate its AI operations, according to Bloomberg. Apple's AKI team will now report to Benoit Dupin, a deputy to John Giannandrea, who is Apple's senior vice president of AI and machine learning.

Apple AI search exec leaves for Meta amid talent war- Bloomberg By Investing.com

Investing.com-- Apple Inc's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Ke Yang, who was recently appointed to lead an effort to develop a ChatGPT-like AI web search, has left the company to join Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META), Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. Yang was appointed to lead a team called Answers, Knowledge, and Information just weeks ago. The team was central to a planned, AI-driven overhaul of Apple's Siri voice assistant, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Yang has been at Apple since 2019, his Linkedin page showed, with his current designation being Senior Director of Machine Learning. He had formerly worked as a software engineer at Alphabet's Google. Yang's reported departure for Meta comes as the Mark Zuckerberg-led company aggressively poached AI executives from a slew of companies, and had also offered hundreds of millions of dollars to win employees from OpenAI. Meta had also poached other AI executives from Apple earlier this year.

AI talent war intensifies as another Apple executive jumps to Meta - VnExpress International

Ke Yang, Apple's newly tapped executive leading an effort to develop a ChatGPT-like AI-driven web search, is leaving the firm for Meta, Bloomberg reported. Just weeks ago, Yang was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI, which is central to the Siri voice assistant's overhaul, planned for March, the Wednesday report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Yang has been with Apple since 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. Meta has intensified Silicon Valley's talent war through aggressive hiring aiming to challenge rivals, including OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, as the tech firms pour significant investment into AI in the race to superintelligence. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company had poached top AI executives from the iPhone maker before, including Robby Walker and Ruoming Pang, as earlier reported by Bloomberg.

Another Apple exec leaves for Meta as AI talent war heats up, Bloomberg News reports

(Reuters) -Apple's Ke Yang, the newly tapped executive leading an effort to develop a ChatGPT-like AI-driven web search, is stepping down to join Meta, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Just weeks ago, Yang was appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI, which is central to the Siri voice assistant's overhaul, planned for March, the report said. Apple, Meta and Yang did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Yang has been with Apple since 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. Meta has intensified Silicon Valley's talent war through aggressive hiring aiming to challenge rivals, including OpenAI, Google and Anthropic, as the tech firms pour significant investment into AI in the race to superintelligence. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company had poached top AI executives from the iPhone maker before, including Robby Walker and Ruoming Pang, as earlier reported by Bloomberg News. (Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

Apple loses another key exec to Meta's hiring spree, this time head of AI search project

Yang had recently taken charge of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team, which is central to the upcoming Siri overhaul. Apple has reportedly lost another key executive to Meta, as Ke Yang, the newly appointed head of Apple's AI web search project, is set to join Meta. Yang had recently taken charge of the Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team, which is central to Apple's upcoming Siri overhaul scheduled for March 2026, according to Bloomberg. This initiative aims to enhance Siri with ChatGPT-like capabilities, including the ability to pull information from the web. Yang's departure follows a series of high-profile exits from Apple's AI division. Yang's move to Meta underscores the intensifying competition for AI talent in Silicon Valley. Meta has been actively recruiting top AI professionals, including several from Apple, as part of its strategy to bolster its AI capabilities. Also read: Apple iPhone 16e price drops by over Rs 9,900: Check deal details here In response to Yang's departure, Apple's AKI team will now report to Benoit Dupin, a deputy to John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president of AI and machine learning. This restructuring reflects Apple's ongoing efforts to stabilise its AI division amid the recent wave of departures. Several remaining members of the Apple team anticipate that many more employees will depart in the coming months. Despite these challenges, Apple remains committed to enhancing Siri's capabilities and competing in the rapidly evolving AI-powered search market. Also read: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold price drops by Rs 83,000 during Flipkart Big Bang Diwali sale Yang's exit is part of a broader trend of talent migration within the tech industry, highlighting the competitive landscape in AI development. As companies like Meta continue to invest heavily in AI, the pressure on firms like Apple to retain and attract top talent intensifies.