Apple Faces Setbacks as Key AI Researchers Exit

Apple’s artificial intelligence initiatives have so far failed to generate strong enthusiasm among users and investors. During its latest earnings call, CEO Tim Cook highlighted AI as a major focus area but stopped short of outlining clear monetisation strategies. This lack of clarity reportedly contributed to a muted response in the stock market and added pressure on the company’s AI ambitions.

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple has recently lost several key AI researchers, including Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang. Their exits follow the departure of Senior Director Stuart Bowers last month. While You and Bailin Wang have joined Meta, Zirui Wang and Bowers are now part of Google DeepMind. Yang is said to be working on his own startup. Most of these researchers were part of Apple’s Foundation Models team, prompting an internal reorganisation.

Despite this talent drain, Apple is reportedly moving ahead with its Siri upgrades. One project, often referred to as Advanced Siri, will allow the assistant to access and analyse user data across devices to answer queries. Another ambitious initiative, internally called Campos, aims to transform Siri into a full chatbot-style experience similar to ChatGPT or Gemini. This version is expected to launch later this year alongside iOS 27 and will reportedly be powered by Google’s custom AI models.