Apple AI chief to step down

John Giannandrea, the Apple executive who led the company’s artificial intelligence work, is expected to leave this week as his final stock awards vest around April 15. (apple.com) Apple said on December 1, 2025 that Giannandrea was stepping down as senior vice president for machine learning and artificial intelligence strategy, moving into an adviser role before retiring in spring 2026. Apple named Amar Subramanya, a former Microsoft and Google artificial intelligence executive, as vice president of artificial intelligence. (apple.com) Apple’s press release said Subramanya would report to software chief Craig Federighi, not directly to Chief Executive Tim Cook as Giannandrea had. Apple also said parts of Giannandrea’s former organization would shift to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue. (apple.com) The change lands after Apple spent 2024 and 2025 trying to turn “Apple Intelligence” into a consumer product. Apple introduced Apple Intelligence on June 10, 2024 as a system that uses generative models and personal context across the iPhone, iPad and Mac. (apple.com) Apple’s most visible artificial intelligence promise was a more personalized Siri, but the company said on March 7, 2025 that those features would take longer and would arrive “in the coming year.” By December 2025, Apple said Federighi was overseeing work to bring that Siri upgrade to users in 2026. (cnbc.com) (apple.com) Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 after leading search and artificial intelligence work at Google. At Apple, he became one of the company’s top machine learning executives as it tried to improve Siri, search, and the underlying models behind newer features. (apple.com) (nbcnews.com) Apple said Giannandrea’s team had been responsible for Apple Foundation Models, search and knowledge, machine learning research, and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Those are the internal systems that power features such as writing tools, summaries, and Siri’s planned upgrades. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2) Outside reports on April 13, 2026 said Giannandrea’s final exit was expected this week because Apple stock grants vest on April 15. Apple has not issued a new statement this week, but its December 2025 announcement had already set his retirement for spring 2026. (macrumors.com) (apple.com) The immediate question is not whether Apple still has an artificial intelligence plan. It is who delivers the Siri overhaul Apple has been promising since June 2024, now under Federighi and Subramanya instead of the executive who was hired to lead it. (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2)