Apple Loses Top Siri Executive and More AI Researchers to Google and Meta [Report]

The exodus of talent from Apple's artificial intelligence division is accelerating, with a top Siri executive and several key researchers leaving the company just as it prepares to launch a critical overhaul of its voice assistant. Among the departures is Stuart Bowers, a vice president who helped lead Siri's modernization effort and has reportedly left for Google DeepMind.



Bowers isn't the only loss. According to Bloomberg, at least four researchers from the Foundation Models team—the group responsible for developing the technology behind Apple Intelligence—have exited in recent weeks. Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang have reportedly joined Meta, while Zirui Wang has moved to Google DeepMind. Yinfei Yang also left to found a startup. These exits underscore the pressure facing a division that has drawn increased scrutiny following repeated product delays.


The brain drain appears linked to internal disagreement over Apple's strategy. The company recently confirmed a multi-year partnership to use Google Gemini to power its upcoming AI features. While CEO Tim Cook defended the move during yesterday's earnings call, calling Google's technology the "most capable foundation," the decision to outsource core capabilities has reportedly frustrated engineers who wanted Apple to build its own models.

This turmoil comes at a delicate time. Apple is currently working on two major upgrades for Siri. A near-term update focused on personal context is expected this spring, followed by a more ambitious chatbot-style overhaul later in the year to compete with services like ChatGPT. Both initiatives will now rely on architecture supported by Google's models, a shift that signals just how far behind Apple's internal efforts had fallen.

The organization has been in a state of flux since Apple replaced longtime AI chief John Giannandrea last year, handing control to software engineering chief Craig Federighi. The company also brought in Amar Subramanya, a former Google and Microsoft executive, to stabilize the team. Despite record-breaking hardware sales, including $85 billion in iPhone revenue last quarter, questions around Apple's lack of homegrown AI breakthroughs continue to linger inside the company and among investors.

Bowers was a significant figure at Apple, having previously held a senior role in the company's canceled self-driving car project before pivoting to help fix Siri. His move to Google DeepMind, which is now helping Apple develop its next wave of AI features, underscores the increasingly complicated relationship between the two companies.


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