Apple is once again facing a new stampede of talent in its artificial intelligence and Siri teams, according to Bloomberg.
The Cupertino company would have lost at least four AI researchers in recent weeksas well as one of the most important executives linked to the development of Siri. A move that adds even more pressure to its ambitions in artificial intelligence and that reinforces the perception that Apple is behind rivals such as Google and Meta in this area.
Among the most relevant departures are Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang and Zirui Wang. According to Bloomberg, Yang decided to leave Apple to create his own company, while both You and Bailin have joined Meta.
Specifically, Haoxuan You has joined Meta’s Superintelligence research area, while Bailin Wang will work on the company’s recommendation systems.
For his part, Zirui Wang has joined Google DeepMind, where he will participate in the development of artificial intelligence models aimed at driving new functions in different products. It should be remembered that DeepMind collaborates with Apple in creating the models that will support future improvements to Siri.
Besides, Stuart Bowersone of Apple’s most senior executives on the Siri project, has also left the company to join Google DeepMind. Bowers held a senior position within the team and had expanded his role last year.
It is especially striking that Bowers is now going to work on Google’s Gemini models, a key technology that Apple has decided to use to power the next generation of its virtual assistant.
This new wave of departures once again puts doubts on the table about Apple’s ability to retain high-level talent in an increasingly competitive market, marked by the fierce race to lead the development of artificial intelligence.