In a blow to Apple’s ambitious AI revival, Ke Yang, the executive spearheading AI-driven web search development, is departing for Meta Platforms. This move, reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, underscores the mounting challenges in Apple’s artificial intelligence efforts as the company scrambles to catch up with rivals like OpenAI and Google.
Yang’s exit comes just weeks after he was tapped to lead Apple’s Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team. This group is at the heart of transforming Siri into a more capable assistant, one that can scour the web for real-time answers—much like ChatGPT. For users, this means Siri could soon handle queries beyond what’s stored on your device, pulling in fresh data to deliver smarter, more contextual responses.
The “Answers” feature, a key output from Yang’s team, aims to position Siri as a formidable contender in the burgeoning AI-powered search arena. Competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Perplexity’s focused search tool, and Google’s Gemini are already reshaping how we interact with information on smartphones and computers.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Apple’s AI division has seen a troubling wave of departures this year, particularly from the Apple Foundation Models team, which builds the core AI architectures powering these advancements. The exodus shows no signs of slowing. Recent moves include New York-based researcher Sam Wiseman heading to Reflection AI earlier this month, and senior researcher Chong Wang joining Meta last week. In August, Meta also poached Frank Chu, another leader from Apple’s search AI teams.
With Yang’s departure, the AKI team will now fall under Benoit Dupin, a deputy to Giannandrea focused on machine learning cloud infrastructure. This shift might stabilize operations short-term, but it raises questions about Apple’s ability to retain top talent in a fiercely competitive field.
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