Apple's AI management undergoes a rare reshuffle! The former head of Vision Pro will be responsible for Siri development, attempting to "get back on track."

According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple Inc. is making rare adjustments to its executive team in hopes of getting the company's artificial intelligence business and Siri development back on track.

Bloomberg News reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook has lost confidence in AI head John Giannandrea's product development capabilities, prompting him to assign another top executive, Mike Rockwell, head of Vision Pro, to assist. Sources revealed that in his new role, Rockwell will be responsible for the Siri virtual assistant.

Rockwell will report to software chief Craig Federighi, meaning that Siri will be completely removed from Giannandrea's oversight. Apple plans to announce this change to employees this week. The company's senior leadership team, known as the "Top 100," recently discussed the company's future at an annual secret meeting. Reports indicate that artificial intelligence was a core topic of this summit.

Analysis suggests that this change highlights the challenges Apple faces: its AI technology lags far behind industry competitors, and there are currently few signs that it can catch up. Although Apple's Apple Intelligence is a major selling point for the iPhone 16, the related platform has yet to launch, and its final performance has been underwhelming.

Rockwell currently serves as vice president of the Vision Products Group (VPG), which is responsible for developing Apple's head-mounted devices. With this adjustment, he will leave that team and hand over management to Paul Meade, who previously worked under Rockwell on hardware engineering for Vision Pro.

Siri Upgrades Delayed Multiple Times, Relying on Vision Pro Head to Rescue

Upgrades for Siri are urgently needed. New features for Siri announced by Apple last June, such as allowing Siri to access user data to better answer queries, have been delayed. Despite the technology not being ready, Apple has spent months promoting these enhanced features in television ads to boost iPhone 16 sales. Earlier this month, Apple postponed the release of these features again due to stalled development progress.

The Apple executive leading the Siri team recently told the team in a meeting that the delay is "very embarrassing," and employees may feel angry and awkward. Robby Walker, the executive in charge of the team, also stated that due to competing development priorities, he is uncertain when these features will officially launch. Apple has publicly stated that these features will be released "within the next year."

Apple's stock price has fallen 14% year-to-date, part of a broader decline in tech stocks. The stock dropped 0.72% during trading on Thursday, closing at $213.68.

However, Rockwell has proven to be an executive with strong technical experience, demonstrating his ability to drive new product launches and manage engineering teams of thousands. Rockwell excels at problem-solving and often serves as an advocate for cutting-edge technologies. Over the past decade, he has been one of the few Apple executives capable of conceiving and successfully launching significant hardware devices from scratch. He joined Apple's hardware engineering team in 2015 and helped the company launch the Vision Pro last February.

In contrast, Giannandrea's background is entirely different. This former Google star executive was hired in 2018 to lead Apple's AI efforts. Within Google's parent company Alphabet, he was one of the highest-ranking executives responsible for the search and AI departments. In comparison, Rockwell does not have AI leadership experience and has not built extensive influence in the field of machine learning.

The Impact of AI Management Adjustments

Apple has recently increasingly referred to Vision Pro and the VPG program as "AI products" internally. Rockwell's hardware experience may also help Apple integrate AI more deeply into future devices. Currently, the company is exploring AirPods equipped with outward-facing cameras that can provide data input for AI systems.

Siri, as the core consumer product of Apple's AI department, has undergone multiple leadership changes over the years. When Siri was first launched in 2011, it was managed by software chief Scott Forstall. In 2012, control of Siri was handed over to services chief Eddy Cue. In 2017, the department returned to Federighi. Giannandrea took over Siri in 2018, and now it will be led by Rockwell and returned to Federighi's management.

Although Rockwell will take over Siri, Giannandrea will remain with the company. If he were to leave suddenly, it would send a signal to the public that Apple's AI team is experiencing turmoil, something Apple is reluctant to acknowledge. Besides Siri, Giannandrea will still be responsible for AI research, testing, and related technologies, and will lead a team researching robotics.

As Rockwell's new superior, Federighi is Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, responsible for the development of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS operating systems, as well as developer tools. Along with Giannandrea, he is a key figure in the development of Apple Intelligence. He is currently also pushing for significant reforms to Apple's core software.

Long-Standing Adjustments to AI Management Structure

The planning for the AI management adjustments has been brewing for months, even before the announcement of delays in Siri's functionality. Last year, Apple dispatched Rockwell's deputy Kim Vorrath to assist the Siri team, known for her ability to organize and execute troubled development projects. In January of this year, she officially transitioned to the AI team, becoming Giannandrea's senior deputy responsible for AI project management In the past few days, Apple has brought in another senior manager from Rockwell's team, Aimee Nugent, to join the Siri team. Like Vorrath, Nugent has extensive experience in fixing tricky projects. These changes allow Rockwell's two capable aides to assess the Siri team before he fully intervenes.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Rockwell has not hidden his dissatisfaction with Siri within Apple. For years, he has been proposing ideas to senior vice presidents to improve Siri and make it more personalized. In recent weeks, he has been advising the AI team. Even before the management adjustments, Giannandrea had long regarded Rockwell as a potential successor