According to 9to5Mac, a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman details that Apple has lost at least four more AI researchers in recent weeks, plus a top Siri executive. The departing researchers are Yinfei Yang, who left to start a company; Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang, who both joined Meta; and Zirui Wang, who is heading to Google DeepMind. Senior Siri executive Stuart Bowers has also left Apple for Google DeepMind. This comes after John Giannandrea stepped down as Apple’s SVP of Machine Learning and AI Strategy in December 2023, though he remains an advisor until spring 2026. The irony is that Google DeepMind, which is now hiring Apple talent, is the same group helping Apple build the core AI models for its upcoming Siri upgrade.
The Irony Is Pretty Thick
Let’s just sit with that last point for a second. Apple is outsourcing its foundational AI model work to Google via a partnership with Gemini. And now, a key architect of Siri’s future at Apple is leaving… to go work at the very Google division he was collaborating with. It’s a bizarre, almost circular talent drain. It begs the question: are these researchers leaving because they see more exciting, cutting-edge work happening elsewhere? Google DeepMind and Meta’s FAIR lab are pure-play AI research powerhouses. Apple’s culture is famously secretive and product-focused. For an AI researcher wanting to publish papers and push the envelope, which environment sounds more appealing? Probably not the one where your work might never see the light of day outside of a product feature.
What This Means For Apple’s AI Ambitions
Look, Apple has the money to hire anyone. They’re not doomed. But this pattern is a red flag for the health and momentum of their in-house AI efforts. Losing a stream of specialized researchers and a senior leader like Bowers, who also worked on the now-defunct Apple Car project, suggests internal turbulence. It points to the challenges of playing catch-up in a field where the leaders (Google, OpenAI, Meta) have been sprinting for years. Apple’s AI strategy seems to be a hybrid: partner for the brute-force model training (with Google) while trying to build a unique edge with on-device, privacy-focused integration. But if the brainpower needed to execute that vision keeps walking out the door to competitors, it gets harder. They’re trying to build a distinctive AI house, but the architects keep getting hired away.
The Bigger Picture Talent Wars
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just an Apple problem. It’s a symptom of the insane, trillion-dollar AI talent war. When a field explodes this fast, poaching becomes the norm. Meta is aggressively hiring for its Superintelligence research arm. Google is staffing up DeepMind. Startups are throwing huge money around. In that environment, a company like Apple—which doesn’t traditionally lead in pure AI research—becomes a fertile hunting ground. The researchers leaving aren’t going to nobodies; they’re going to the perceived centers of gravity in AI. For Apple, the real test at WWDC 2024 won’t just be showing off new Siri features. It will be convincing the world, and crucially its own remaining employees, that it has a coherent and exciting AI future that’s worth sticking around for. Otherwise, this leak could turn into a flood. Follow the ongoing discussion on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon.
