In just a few days, Apple overhauls its AI and design leadershipThis signals that the company is trying to find a solution after a series of delays and mixed market reactions to its AI product.
The departure includes two of the company’s most important people in machine learning and interface design and will reshape the teams responsible for Apple’s future.
To understand what these moves mean for the tech giant’s AI roadmap, I spoke to Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of SmarterX and the Marketing AI Institute. Episode 184 of the Artificial Intelligence Show.
C-suite changes
was the first executive to fall John GiannandreaApple’s senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy.
According to reports, Giannandrea is stepping down from his role following internal conflicts over modernizing Siri and delays in introducing Apple Intelligence features. bloomberg And The VergeHe will remain an advisor until his retirement in 2026,
it has to be replaced amar subramaniamFormer vice president of AI at Microsoft and longtime Google researcher. Will report to Subramaniam Head of Software Craig FederighI’m tasked with overseeing the Foundation Model and getting Apple’s AI infrastructure back on track.
In another shakeup move, Alan Dye, Head of User Interface Design, Is leaving the company To join Meta. die, who invented the iPhone
“Siri sucks” and other stumbles
To longtime Apple watchers, these exits may seem sudden. But Roetzer argues that they are the result of a complex series of missed opportunities and product bottlenecks.
“There’s a lot going on there,” says Roetzer. “Vision Pro, they bet big on it and it didn’t work. They spent $10 billion on cars for a decade. Didn’t work. Siri sucks.”
The hard truth is that Apple’s recent track record on AI innovation has been poor. The car project was scrapped, the Vision Pro headset was not widely adopted, and Siri has lagged badly behind competing products including OpenAI’s ChatGPIT and Google Gemini.
“It’s bad, and it’s obvious to everyone,” Roetzer says. “They just haven’t figured it out yet, so part of it is that they need a change.”
the market seems careless
Despite the changes, Wall Street has no influence on Apple. Its There was a slight decline in the stock Following the news, it was suggested that investors may actually view the leadership change as necessary rather than a sign of doom.
“I would have expected Apple to have been penalized more for its inability to detect AI,” Roetzer says. “So I think there are probably some investors who will be excited by the idea that there’s going to be a change and maybe they’re going to explore it.”
Roetzer says Apple remains an incredibly stable company with deep pockets. The prevailing belief is that once they solve the AI puzzle, the rewards will be massive.
“I think if they do it, and they do it brilliantly, and they do it very aggressively, they can have an advantage,” he says.
Battle for the next interface
Dye’s departure into the meta highlights an important new battlefield: the future of hardware interfaces.
We are moving towards a world where AI is not just a chatbot on a screen, but an integrated layer of reality accessible through glasses or other wearable devices. Meta is aggressively pursuing this future Reality Labs The divestment, and poaching of Apple’s top talent, is a major coup.
Roetzer believes this is where the competition will be stiffest.
“The future is going to be vision-based,” he says. “It’s going to be some kind of glasses or something like they tried to do with the Vision Pro.
“Everyone is trying to hone in on the talent that can make a breakthrough or lead the productization of the next user interface. And so it’s going to be extremely competitive between OpenAI and Meta and Google and Apple.”
Could these changes give Apple an edge?
Apple is in the rare position of playing catch-up.
Bringing in fresh leadership from rivals Microsoft and Google, the company is attempting to accelerate its AI capabilities before it loses too much ground. It’s a race to define the post-smartphone era.
For now, all eyes are on Apple to see if new leadership can finally fix Siri and deliver the AI innovation investors and users have come to expect.
