A senior Apple executive leading work on AI-powered web search for Siri is leaving the company for Meta, according to people familiar with the matter, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Ke Yang recently became head of Apple’s Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team, which is developing new Siri features that can pull information directly from the web. The effort is a key part of a major Siri overhaul planned for March of next year, aimed at making Apple’s voice assistant more like ChatGPT (which is going to be a tall task).
Yang’s team plays a central role in Apple’s plan to revive its AI division, with the new Siri also expected to handle more personal and complex requests using on-device data. The Answers feature was designed to help Apple compete with OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini in AI-driven search.
Yang reported to John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president of AI and machine learning, and took over the AKI group after the departure of its previous head, Robby Walker. With Yang’s exit, the team will now move under Benoit Dupin, a deputy overseeing machine learning infrastructure, reports Gurman.
Bloomberg reports that Yang’s departure adds to a growing list of AI staff leaving Apple for Meta, which is building a new unit called Superintelligence Labs. Around a dozen members of Apple’s AI group—known internally as Apple Foundation Models—have left this year, including its founder Ruoming Pang. This is not a good look for Apple as AI researchers continue to depart Apple, getting poached away.
Apple Intelligence on Apple devices continues to lack a smart Siri, which consumers continue to wait for. Next spring can’t come soon enough, assuming the timeline stays on track.
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