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Apple's AI Shakeup: Microsoft VP Joins as AI Chief Amid Leadership Shift

Apple has made a significant leadership change in its AI division. The company appointed Amar Subramanya, previously a corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft, as its new vice president of AI. This move comes as John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, prepares to step down and transition to an advisory role. Subramanya's extensive experience, including 16 years at Google, is expected to accelerate Apple's development of intelligent and personalized features like Siri.

Key Points: Apple Appoints Amar Subramanya as AI VP from Microsoft

  • Apple appoints former Microsoft AI VP Amar Subramanya as its new vice president of AI
  • John Giannandrea, current SVP of AI, will step down and serve as an advisor before retiring in 2026
  • Subramanya will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation
  • His 16-year tenure at Google and recent role at Microsoft brings deep AI expertise to Apple's innovation efforts
2 min read

Apple appoints Amar Subramanya as vice president of AI

Apple names ex-Microsoft AI VP Amar Subramanya to lead its AI efforts, including foundation models and AI safety, as John Giannandrea steps down.

"We are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig's leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple. - Tim Cook, Apple CEO"

Cupertino (California), Dec 2

Apple has announced to appoint renowned AI researcher Amar Subramanya as vice president of AI, reporting to Craig Federighi.

The company said that John Giannandrea, Apple's senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, is stepping down from his position and will serve as an advisor to the company before retiring in the spring of 2026.

"Subramanya will be leading critical areas, including Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation. The balance of Giannandrea's organisation will shift to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue to align closer with similar organisations," Apple announced.

Subramanya brings a wealth of experience to Apple, having most recently served as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft, and previously spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Google's Gemini Assistant prior to his departure.

His deep expertise in both AI and ML research and in integrating that research into products and features will be important to Apple's ongoing innovation and future Apple Intelligence features, said the tech giant.

"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," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO.

AI has long been central to Apple's strategy, and "we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig's leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple," said Cook.

In addition to growing his leadership team and AI responsibilities with Amar's joining, Craig has been instrumental in driving our AI efforts, including overseeing our work to bring a more personalised Siri to users next year," Cook further stated.

According to the iPhone maker, since joining Apple in 2018, Giannandrea has played a key role in the company's AI and ML strategy, building a world-class team and leading them to develop and deploy critical AI technologies.

This team is currently responsible for Apple Foundation Models, Search and Knowledge, ML Research, and AI Infrastructure.

With Giannandrea's contributions as a foundation, Federighi's expanded oversight and Subramanya's deep expertise guiding the next generation of AI technologies, Apple is poised to accelerate its work in delivering intelligent, trusted, and profoundly personal experiences.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who uses both Apple and Microsoft products, this is interesting. Subramanya was leading AI at Microsoft, so Apple is clearly serious about catching up in the AI race. Curious to see how this affects Siri's development, especially the promised personalization.
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Priya S
This is fantastic news! It shows the global recognition of Indian talent. But I hope Apple's AI under his leadership also focuses on privacy, which is their big selling point. The 'AI Safety and Evaluation' part of his role is crucial.
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Rohit P
With respect, I'm a bit skeptical. Apple has been lagging in public AI compared to Google and OpenAI. Hiring a top exec is one thing, but can they actually innovate quickly enough? Their "Apple Intelligence" needs to be more than just a marketing term. Prove it with products.
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Karthik V
His experience with Gemini at Google is key. Siri desperately needs that level of conversational ability and context awareness. If the new "personalised Siri" next year is half as good as the current Gemini, it will be a massive upgrade for iPhone users here.
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Michael C
The organizational reshuffle sounds complex. Shifting parts of the team to Sabih Khan (Operations) and Eddy Cue (Services) suggests they want AI deeply integrated into everything, not just a standalone research unit. Smart move for long-term product integration.

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