Apple’s AI Talent Exodus: Siri’s Major Upgrade Remains on Track
In recent months, Apple has experienced a notable departure of key artificial intelligence (AI) researchers and executives, raising questions about the company’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Despite these challenges, Apple remains committed to delivering a significant upgrade to its voice assistant, Siri, leveraging advanced AI technologies.
Departure of Key AI Personnel
Since January 2025, Apple has seen a steady stream of AI talent leaving the company for competitors. Notably, in September 2025, Jian Zhang, a leading AI researcher specializing in robotics, departed Apple to join Meta’s Robotics Studio. This move was part of a broader trend, with at least a dozen AI experts transitioning from Apple to companies like Meta, OpenAI, and others. Meta, in particular, has been aggressive in recruiting AI talent, offering substantial compensation packages that have proven enticing to Apple’s staff. For instance, Ruoming Pang, who led Apple’s Foundational Models team, was reportedly lured to Meta with a compensation package valued at over $200 million. ([macrumors.com](https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/02/apple-ai-robotics-researcher-joins-meta/?utm_source=openai))
The exodus continued into early 2026. In January, reports indicated that at least four more AI researchers left Apple. Among them, Yinfei Yang departed to start a new venture, while Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang joined Meta’s Superintelligence research arm and recommendations team, respectively. Additionally, Zirui Wang transitioned to Google DeepMind. These departures underscore the competitive nature of the AI industry and the challenges Apple faces in retaining top talent. ([9to5mac.com](https://9to5mac.com/2026/01/30/apple-loses-more-ai-researchers-siri-exec-to-google-and-meta/?utm_source=openai))
Impact on Siri’s Development
Despite the loss of key personnel, Apple remains steadfast in its plans to enhance Siri’s capabilities. The company is focusing on integrating more advanced large language models (LLMs) to make Siri more conversational and capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks. This initiative aims to position Siri as a more formidable competitor to AI-driven assistants like ChatGPT and Google Assistant.
Apple’s roadmap includes the release of these enhanced Siri features with iOS 19. Initially slated for an earlier release, the timeline has been adjusted, with the upgraded Siri now expected to debut in spring 2026 as part of the iOS 26.4 update. This delay is attributed to Apple’s commitment to ensuring the quality and reliability of the new features. ([macrumors.com](https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/12/apple-intelligence-siri-spring-2026/?utm_source=openai))
Strategic Partnerships and Future Outlook
In a strategic move to bolster its AI capabilities, Apple has entered into a multi-year partnership with Google. This collaboration involves integrating Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud technology into Apple’s ecosystem. The partnership is set to power future Apple Intelligence features, including the forthcoming Siri upgrade. This decision reflects Apple’s recognition of the need to leverage external expertise to enhance its AI offerings and maintain competitiveness in the market. ([techradar.com](https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/apple-intelligence/apple-gives-up-and-lets-google-take-the-ai-wheel-gemini-will-officially-power-siris-big-ai-upgrade-this-year?utm_source=openai))
While the departure of key AI researchers presents challenges, Apple’s proactive steps, such as strategic partnerships and a clear roadmap for Siri’s enhancement, demonstrate the company’s commitment to advancing its AI capabilities. The tech industry will be closely watching how Apple navigates these developments and delivers on its promises to provide a more intelligent and responsive Siri experience to its users.
