Meta has hired Jian Zhang, Apple’s lead AI researcher for robotics, in a move that highlights the growing exodus of talent from Apple’s artificial intelligence division. Zhang, who led a small team focused on automation technology, will now work at the Meta Robotics Studio, part of Meta’s Reality Labs division. His departure underscores Apple’s struggle to hold on to key researchers as rivals continue to recruit aggressively.
Apple’s AI Teams Under Strain
Bloomberg reported that Zhang’s exit comes alongside three more departures from Apple’s Foundation Models team. John Peebles and Nan Du have joined OpenAI, while Zhao Meng has gone to Anthropic. Apple has lost around 10 members of the group in recent weeks, including its leader, Ruoming Pang. This team played a central role in building Apple Intelligence, the platform announced last year as Apple’s response to rapid advances in generative AI.
Bloomberg also noted that Apple is now weighing whether to depend more on outside AI models instead of relying solely on internal development. The company has been in talks with firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google while also considering possible acquisitions, with names such as Mistral and Perplexity under review.
The departures follow an earlier report that Meta had already recruited Frank Chu, a senior Apple engineer who led AI teams in cloud infrastructure and search. With Zhang now joining, the tally of high-profile losses for Apple continues to grow.
Robotics and Rival Strategies
Meta brings in talent with large compensation packages, not all hires have stayed long term. Some recent recruits have already left the company, showing that the battle for AI expertise remains volatile.
Apple, OpenAI, and Anthropic declined to comment on the latest personnel changes, according to Bloomberg.
Robotics remains a strategic priority for Apple. The company is reportedly developing a tabletop device with a moving screen and exploring robotic arms for retail and manufacturing. Zhang’s group, however, was part of Apple’s AI and machine learning division, separate from its product-focused robotics team, which shifted earlier this year to hardware engineering.
Meta, on its side, is advancing robotics efforts alongside smart glasses and AI-driven products. Bloomberg reported in February that the company is also investing in operating systems and hardware for humanoid robots.
Zhang’s move signals that Apple’s AI staff departures are far from over. According to Bloomberg, more employees are actively interviewing with competitors, citing low morale after the lukewarm reception to Apple Intelligence and growing uncertainty about the company’s AI strategy.
