Apple is revamping its artificial intelligence efforts, dividing what had been a unified AI team. The technology giant has restructured its secret robotics division and Siri voice assistant into new leadership teams, a radical shift in the manner the company is building AI.
The overhaul comes after decades of upheaval, including chronic delays, internal conflict, and growing pressure from competitors such as Google and Amazon, which have been making rapid gains in AI technology.
Leadership Shifts Indicate New Direction
Since 2018, Apple’s AI and machine learning efforts have been overseen by John Giannandrea, a former Google executive who was hired to ramp up Apple’s AI efforts. CEO Tim Cook has now started to phase out Giannandrea from major projects after timelines were missed and progress was slow.
Apple relocated Siri’s engineering group out from under Giannandrea in March 2025 and put it alongside Mike Rockwell, who previously oversaw the Vision Pro headset groups.
Rockwell now reports directly to software chief Craig Federighi, and he has brought key Vision Pro project members on board to help overhaul Siri’s development strategy.
Soon after that move, Apple announced another radical change: its robotics division would be moved out of the AI group to the hardware department under Senior Vice President John Ternus, who is in charge of engineering for main products such as iPhone and Mac.
Why Dissolve the AI Team
Several ongoing problems appear to have triggered these changes like Siri performed worse than rivals, with Apple’s internal tests revealing it failed almost a third of user requests. Apple’s Intelligence platform’s soft launch also contributed to fears about the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
The AI team is said to have grappled with internal conflict, such as budgetary issues and working issues. Some staff members also jokingly referred to the team as “AI/MLess,” citing frustration with the team’s lack of activity.
Cook’s faith in Giannandrea’s capability to deliver on ambitious AI initiatives has seemingly diminished, leading to the reassignment of Siri and robotics. This leaves Giannandrea’s remaining staff to concentrate on basic AI models instead of product implementation.
In the meantime, Apple has been under pressure as competitors have been making progress quickly in areas such as generative AI and conversational assistants. Disputes internally on AI chip financing in 2023 further frustrated Apple’s ability to catch up.
What’s Next for Siri and Robotics
Under Rockwell’s command, Siri will see some major improvements, such as more personalized experiences and higher contextual awareness. The plan is to make Apple’s voice assistant smarter, more intuitive, and quicker. Some of these improvements have, however, apparently been pushed to next year as the new team comes up to speed.
The robotics group, now led by Ternus, has some interesting projects in the works. They have a table robot with an iPad-style display and the capability to physically move, and a videoconferencing and smart home remote-controlling mobile robot.
Apple is hoping to merge robotics and hardware engineering to develop new product categories that harmonize AI and physical products.
Broader Implications
This restructuring is a drastic change in Apple’s approach to integrating AI into its devices. By placing Siri and robotics under the control of individuals with deep hardware and software expertise, Apple is looking to make quicker decisions and regain its competitive edge. And in addition, it’s rumored Giannandrea might eventually take a step aside, perhaps enabling new leadership of Apple’s more general AI aims.
The company’s future success with AI will rely on its capacity to close these internal gaps and provide seamless, high-quality AI experiences that differentiate itself in a more competitive marketplace.
As such developments keep unfolding in 2025, the technology world will be watching closely if Apple’s new direction will assist the company in narrowing the gap with AI front runners and maybe alter the way users interact with technology in the not-so-distant future.
