Apple is making a major change in its AI leadership. John Giannandrea, who has led Apple’s Machine Learning and AI Strategy since 2018, is retiring in spring 2026. Apple confirmed the news in its official press release and said he will stay on as an advisor until he leaves. The move arrives during a critical moment for Apple’s AI roadmap, which has struggled to keep pace with expectations.
Apple stated that Amar Subramanya is joining the company as the new vice president of AI under Craig Federighi. You see this shift clearly in the press release, which explains that he will oversee Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation.
Subramanya comes from Microsoft AI and previously spent 16 years at Google. Apple also said that parts of Giannandrea’s team will now report to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue to align with related areas.
Transition Inside Apple’s AI Teams
The release also notes that Siri is still led by Mike Rockwell, who reports to Federighi. Subramanya’s arrival signals a fresh start for Apple’s long-term AI plans, especially after Giannandrea’s team faced delays with generative AI features.
Apple pushed a more powerful Siri to 2026, and the company is now using Google’s Gemini model instead of its own internal work to finish the project. This decision followed multiple organizational changes, including the departure of Robby Walker earlier this year.
Tim Cook thanked Giannandrea for helping build Apple’s AI efforts and welcomed Subramanya as part of Federighi’s leadership group. Cook said Subramanya’s experience will help strengthen future Apple Intelligence features. Apple believes this leadership change improves how the company approaches generative AI, especially after years of slow movement.
The upgraded Siri is now expected to arrive in spring 2026 with iOS 26.4. That timing lines up with Giannandrea’s retirement. It shows how Apple wants one clean transition period before it delivers its most advanced AI project yet.
The full press release outlines the leadership change and provides Apple’s public reasoning for this shift.
