After Siri, another robot project fails! Is Apple's AI department being marginalized?

According to Zhitong Finance APP, Apple (AAPL.US) is making significant adjustments to its internal project management to focus on the development of artificial intelligence and robotics technology. According to informed sources, Apple plans to move its secret robotics division out of the artificial intelligence department managed by John Giannandrea later this month, and it will be managed by John Ternus, the company's senior vice president responsible for hardware engineering.

Notably, this is the second major project that Apple has stripped from John Giannandrea's purview in the past month. Previously, due to the failure to deliver the promised Apple Intelligence Siri features on time, Apple handed over the Siri team to Mike Rockwell, who is in charge of Vision Pro.

Analysts believe that these changes are part of Apple's broader efforts to catch up with competitors in the field of artificial intelligence, such as Alphabet and OpenAI. Informed sources revealed that John Giannandrea, who currently serves as Apple's senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, still oversees most of Apple's AI work, and the latest changes will allow his team to focus more on the development of underlying AI technologies.

These changes also indicate that Apple is accelerating its research and development pace in the robotics field. Robotics is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting areas in Silicon Valley, with tech giants like Tesla and Meta investing billions of dollars in the field. After falling behind in generative AI, scrapping its autonomous vehicle project, and entering the smart home market too late, Apple can no longer afford to miss another important AI-driven category.

The robotics division is highly secretive within Apple. This division is exploring how to leverage AI technology to empower devices, which could lay the foundation for a new product category. The team is led by Apple veteran Kevin Lynch, who previously managed Apple Watch software and the now-canceled Apple autonomous vehicle project. It is reported that Apple is currently advancing multiple robotics projects, including a desktop robot equipped with a robotic arm and a more mobile wheeled device. These products may integrate displays and have the ability to perform simple tasks, make phone calls, and answer questions.

Apple's executives are confident in John Ternus leading the robotics project. John Ternus is one of CEO Tim Cook's most trusted core members and is currently responsible for hardware engineering for almost all products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro. Many employees believe that John Ternus may be Apple's next CEO. John Ternus currently leads the hardware engineering team operated by Matt Costello and Brian Lynch, which has been developing robotics and smart home technologies. The latest changes also suggest that Apple is accelerating related work and hopes for closer collaboration between the two teams under the same leadership Under the leadership of John Giannandrea, Apple's Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning team (AI/ML) has faced issues such as management, ideological differences, and execution problems over the past few months, even being jokingly referred to by some employees as "AI/MLess" (meaning "headless chicken"). In an all-hands meeting last month, Robby Walker, former Siri chief under John Giannandrea, described the current situation as "very bad" and "embarrassing."

Although John Giannandrea has not yet disclosed his intention to leave the team, the continuous weakening of his responsibilities has led to speculation that Apple is preparing for a future without him leading the AI efforts. Insiders indicate that Apple's Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning team may face another round of being split up