Head of Apple's ChatGPT-Like Siri Search Effort Defects to Meta [Report]

The executive leading Apple's effort to develop an AI-powered web search tool is reportedly leaving the company for Meta, marking another high-profile departure from its artificial intelligence division. The move comes as Apple races to deliver on a major Siri overhaul promised for next year.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Ke Yang is stepping down just weeks after being appointed head of a team called Answers, Knowledge and Information, or AKI. That group is a secret team inside the company responsible for building a ChatGPT-like "answer engine" to allow Siri to pull information from the web.

The departure is another blow to Apple's efforts to retain top talent in a fierce AI talent war. Roughly a dozen members of Apple's foundational models team have left this year, including its founder, Ruoming Pang, who also joined Meta. The report notes that another senior leader in the AI group, Frank Chu, departed for the social media giant in August.


Yang's exit adds another layer of disruption to the AKI team, which only recently saw the departure of its previous head, Robby Walker. Following Yang's decision to leave, the team will reportedly be moved under Benoit Dupin, a deputy to AI chief John Giannandrea.

Apple is planning to launch its revamped Siri as early as March as part of a broader push to revive its AI operations. The update is expected to include advanced features that were delayed from earlier this year.

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