Siri Left by its Creator, Apple AI Researcher Escapes to Google and Meta
JAKARTA - Apple is again hit by bad news from its artificial intelligence kitchen. In the midst of its ambitious pursuit of catching up in the global AI race, the Cupertino-based technology company has lost key talents from its artificial intelligence and Siri teams.
Bloomberg's latest report revealed that at least four Apple AI researchers and one senior Siri executive have left in recent weeks, mostly to direct competitors such as Meta and Google DeepMind.
The four researchers who left Apple are Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang. Based on sources that know the details of this transfer, Yinfei Yang chose to leave to establish his own start-up company.
Meanwhile, Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang joined Meta. You reportedly joined Meta's Superintelligence unit, a strategic research division focused on the development of advanced AI, while Bailin Wang strengthened Meta's recommendation system team.
Zirui Wang took a different direction by joining Google DeepMind. This move feels ironic because DeepMind is currently Apple's partner in developing the core AI model that will support new features, including the latest version of the Siri voice assistant that is scheduled to launch this year.
This exodus does not stop at the researcher level. Stuart Bowers, one of the most senior executives on the Siri team, is also reportedly leaving Apple to join Google DeepMind.
Bowers previously had a strategic role at Apple and reported directly to Siri's head, Mike Rockwell. His responsibilities were even expanded last year, signaling his position as an important figure in the direction of Siri's development. He was also involved in Apple's autonomous car project, which has now been discontinued.
Bowers' move to Google adds a layer of irony. At DeepMind, he will work on the development of the Gemini model, an AI technology that Apple uses as the foundation for building the latest generation of Siri. In other words, one of the architects of Siri is now developing the AI "brain" that Apple uses from outside the company.
This series of departures underscores that Apple's AI and Siri teams are in a turbulent phase. Over the past year, the division has undergone massive restructuring.
The peak occurred last December when John Giannandrea resigned from his position as Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. Giannandrea, who was recruited from Google in 2018 to strengthen Apple's AI strategy, will still serve as an advisor until spring 2026 before officially retiring.
For Apple, this condition poses a strategic challenge that is not small. At a time when competitors such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI are moving aggressively to secure talent and accelerate innovation, Apple is seen losing key human resources in sectors that are now determining the future of the technology industry. Dependence on external partners for the development of core AI models is also increasingly highlighted.
In short, Apple is racing to build a new generation of Siri with a cutting-edge AI foundation, but some of the foundation builders are choosing to leave. In an ecosystem of technology that moves as fast as algorithms, losing talent can be more expensive than losing the market. And for Apple, the alarm is now ringing loud enough.