Apple’s Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, John Giannandrea, is determined to perfect Apple Intelligence before handing over the reins to a successor. Despite the company starting late and encountering some obstacles, Giannandrea remains at the helm of AI and Large Language Model (LLM) research, as well as integrating these technologies into the broader OS infrastructure.
A recent Bloomberg report suggests that some Apple executives believe Giannandrea’s role should be further reduced ahead of his potential departure in the near future. The leadership reportedly wants to pave the way for Giannandrea’s retirement and the appointment of a successor. Nevertheless, Giannandrea continues to attract top talent to Apple, which has kept him in his current position for now.
Giannandrea has acknowledged delays in AI and Siri development, with insiders suggesting that he was too focused on underlying technologies like machine learning rather than user-facing features such as Siri. To alleviate some of this burden, Apple recently transferred Siri development to Mike Rockwell, the head of Vision Pro. This move has allowed Giannandrea to concentrate on completing his work on Apple’s AI engine.
To supplement its internal efforts, Apple has been acquiring smaller AI-focused companies. These acquisitions are expected to enhance both user-facing features and core technology. As Giannandrea approaches his next assignment or potential departure, he has prioritized upgrading the existing AI engine to better leverage future Apple hardware, including improved neural engine chips slated for the next generation of Apple products.
In contrast to Giannandrea’s focus on the AI engine, Rockwell has always seen Siri as having the potential to be the primary interface for users interacting with Apple’s various operating systems. An unnamed employee quoted in the Bloomberg report described Giannandrea as “not a salesman” but a technologist, suggesting that he should have been more aggressive in securing funding to drive Siri’s development forward.
Apple’s engineers are known for working under intense pressure to deliver results quickly, driven by the competitive technology landscape and the fear of falling behind. However, it’s unclear whether Giannandrea enforced this unspoken rule within his team. The report also highlighted that Giannandrea’s team was perceived as being treated more leniently than others, with perks such as free food, which may have caused friction among other teams.
While Giannandrea viewed Siri as a tool for controlling devices like Apple TV or HomeKit-compatible devices, Rockwell is focused on enhancing the overall user interaction experience by giving Siri access to a broader range of information. This would make Siri both more flexible in handling user requests and more capable of interacting with other engines, potentially leading to a more satisfying user experience.
The timeline for when users can expect to see significant improvements in Siri’s capabilities as both a voice-oriented search tool and an interactive assistant remains unclear.
