Apple is undergoing a significant transition in its artificial intelligence division as John Giannandrea, the long-time leader of the company’s AI strategy, prepares to step down from his role. This development follows the launch of Apple Intelligence last year, marking a crucial point for the company as it strengthens its position in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Amar Subramanya, who previously worked with Microsoft and DeepMind, will assume the leadership role and drive Apple’s next-generation AI initiatives.
Giannandrea has served as Senior Vice President and reported directly to CEO Tim Cook. Although he will step down from his position, he will continue to support the company as an advisor until his retirement in spring next year. Subramanya will oversee essential areas such as research, foundational model development, and AI safety. He will report to Craig Federighi, who leads Apple’s software engineering division.
This change arrives at a time when Apple is working to close the competitive gap in AI after the rapid industry shift triggered by the rise of models like ChatGPT. Even with the introduction of Apple Intelligence, critics have raised concerns about performance, while the upgraded version of Siri has been delayed to 2026. Industry analysts note that Apple is under pressure to accelerate progress as rivals move aggressively with new data centers, advanced chips, and high-capacity AI models.
Tim Cook has confirmed that Federighi plays a key role in shaping Apple’s long-term AI vision, especially in enhancing Siri with smarter and more private on-device capabilities. Cook also stated that Subramanya’s arrival strengthens the team for the challenges ahead. Meanwhile, other divisions previously under Giannandrea will shift to the oversight of COO Sabih Khan and Services head Eddy Cue.
Despite Apple’s stock rising 16 percent in 2025, it still trails other tech giants investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Apple has committed to significantly increasing investment in this sector and has already partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its product ecosystem while maintaining a strong focus on on-device processing to protect user privacy.
This year also marked a major shift in the broader AI hardware market as former Apple design chief Jony Ive sold his startup to OpenAI for 6.4 billion dollars. Ive and Sam Altman confirmed that the first prototype of their new AI hardware is complete, with a potential launch in the next two years. Analysts believe this signals the start of a new era of fully AI-driven devices, one that Apple will need to follow closely as competition intensifies across the industry.
Source: CNBC
