Apple’s Chief steps down after Siri’s recent failure. How could this recent shake-up affect the company’s innovation trajectory?
Apple might have lost the plot.
John Giannandrea is no longer the Apple Chief. And in his place?
Amar Subramanya, a seasoned AI researcher freshly plucked from Microsoft (after long service at Google), who’ll now head Apple’s foundational AI efforts, reporting to software lead Craig Federighi.
On paper: a smart hire. But the context speaks volumes. Apple has been lagging. Its showcase AI suite launched in 2024, yet features have remained incremental- a few surprising tricks in AirPods, some fitness-app voiceovers while rival platforms barreled ahead with generative-AI firepower.
Most glaring: the long-promised reboot of the voice-assistant Siri. Once the poster-child for intelligent assistants, Siri now looks more like Siri-lite. Its promised “AI-first” reinvention has been delayed more than once, and insiders say the quality bar Apple demanded may have itself become a barrier to timely innovation.
The shake-up isn’t just cosmetic. According to corporate insiders cited in media reports, CEO Tim Cook reportedly “lost confidence” in Giannandrea’s ability either to deliver or to keep Apple competitive in AI. The AI-responsibility lines are being redrawn: parts of Giannandrea’s team will shift to other leaders even as Subramanya picks up the core AI duties.
Put simply: Apple’s innovation engine has hit a speed bump. Subramanya may be skilled, but he inherits not just a department- he inherits a backlog of broken promises and a corporate expectation to catch up fast.
Whether Apple’s new chapter solely becomes a renaissance or another lull depends not on technologists but on whether the company is willing to embrace risk and abandon caution.
