Apple AI Leadership Shakeup Amid Siri Delays and Strategic Pivots

John Giannandrea, Apple's AI chief since 2018, will step down following persistent challenges with the company's artificial intelligence initiatives. His successor Amar Subramanya brings experience from Microsoft Research and Google's DeepMind as Apple struggles to compete with OpenAI and Google in the AI race.

The transition comes after multiple setbacks including the delayed relaunch of Siri—now pushed to 2026—and the quiet reassignment of Apple's robotics division. Internal frustrations mounted when Apple Intelligence, the company's flagship AI platform, failed to gain traction against rivals like ChatGPT.

Market analysts note the departure underscores Apple's widening innovation gap in artificial intelligence. "When your moonshots become afterthoughts, you're playing catch-up," remarked Bernstein tech analyst Toni Sacconaghi, referencing the shelved robotics projects and Siri delays.