In a significant executive reshuffle at Apple, Mike Rockwell, previously heading the Apple Vision Pro project, has replaced John Giannandrea as the executive in charge of Siri. The change is part of Apple’s bid to address the slow progress of its AI endeavors, and Siri in particular, which has been admonished for slow updates and innovation in recent years.
In a Thursday report by Bloomberg, Apple’s AI chief Giannandrea will be stripped of his position as the leader of Siri due to the perception that there has not been enough progress in addition to delays during his tenure. CEO Tim Cook no longer has confidence that Giannandrea can move Siri’s development forward, and the decision was made. Rockwell, who will now lead the development of Siri, will report to Apple software boss Craig Federighi.
The departure of Giannandrea from Siri is a significant leadership reshuffle. While he will not be a part of Siri anymore, he will still remain at Apple and continue to work on other robotics and AI projects. The company also announced that Paul Meade, who was formerly engaged in hardware engineering for Apple Vision Pro, will now take charge of the Vision Pro project.
The decision to remove Giannandrea follows as Apple struggles with backlash for the sluggish launch of Apple Intelligence and the underwhelming lack of development on Siri, once hailed as a leader in AI but now outstripped by rivals. Delays in anticipated updates and features, such as those awaited at WWDC 2024, have been a source of frustration both within the company and among customers.
Apple’s decision to hire Rockwell, who has experience shipping hardware products like the Vision Pro, suggests a trajectory of emphasizing leveraging his problem-solving skills and experience in shipping new products. Despite not having an AI-focused background, Rockwell’s successful management of the Vision Pro project, where he addressed complex technical issues, has positioned him as a suitable candidate for leading Siri’s development.
This upheaval is all part of Apple’s grander plans to overhaul its AI strategy and make Siri competitive again in the continually expanding voice assistant market.
