Apple Names Former Google Gemini Lead as New AI Chief

Apple has appointed Amar Subramanya as its new vice president of AI, replacing John Giannandrea who announced his retirement after seven years leading the company’s machine learning efforts.

Subramanya, who spent 16 years at Google as head of engineering for the Gemini Assistant before a brief stint as corporate VP of AI at Microsoft, brings deep expertise in conversational AI to a company that has struggled to modernize Siri. He will report to Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, rather than directly to CEO Tim Cook as Giannandrea had.

“AI has long been central to Apple’s strategy, and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple,” Cook said in Apple’s official announcement.

The leadership change comes at a critical moment for Apple. The company’s AI ambitions have faced repeated setbacks, with Apple Intelligence features delayed and Siri widely perceived as falling behind competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Giannandrea’s Departure Follows Siri Setbacks

Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 from Google, where he had served as head of search and AI. During his tenure, he built Apple’s AI and machine learning organization, overseeing Apple Foundation Models, Search and Knowledge, Machine Learning Research, and AI Infrastructure.

But recent months have not been kind to Apple’s AI efforts. Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Cook had stripped Siri from Giannandrea’s oversight, handing the voice assistant to Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell. That reorganization suggested internal dissatisfaction with the pace of Siri’s evolution.

Giannandrea will serve as an advisor to Apple before fully retiring in spring 2026. Portions of his former organization will transition to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue to align with similar teams.

Subramanya’s resume reads like a deliberate counterweight to Apple’s recent struggles. At Google, he was a principal member of the team that created Gemini and Imagen 3, two of the company’s most advanced AI systems. His experience building the Gemini Assistant—a direct competitor to what Siri aspires to become—could prove valuable as Apple races to deliver enhanced Siri features planned for next year.

A Signal of Urgency

The speed of Subramanya’s hire is notable. According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined Microsoft only four months ago before moving to Apple. That suggests Apple moved aggressively to recruit him, potentially disrupting his Microsoft tenure.

His new role will focus on three areas: Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation. The emphasis on foundation models indicates Apple is doubling down on building its own large language models rather than relying solely on partnerships—though the company has also been reportedly negotiating with Google to power certain Siri features.

The reporting structure is also telling. By having Subramanya report to Federighi rather than Cook, Apple is integrating AI leadership more closely with its software engineering organization. This could accelerate the deployment of AI features across iOS, macOS, and other platforms.

Apple’s competitors have not stood still. OpenAI continues to expand ChatGPT’s capabilities, while Google has pushed Gemini across its product suite. Anthropic’s Claude and other models have captured developer mindshare that Apple once dominated through its ecosystem advantages.

The Path Forward

Subramanya inherits both a significant challenge and considerable resources. Apple’s user base, hardware-software integration, and on-device processing capabilities give it unique advantages in delivering AI experiences that prioritize privacy—a positioning the company has emphasized repeatedly.

The question is whether new leadership can translate those advantages into products that match or exceed what users now expect from AI assistants. Enhanced Siri features are promised for next year, and Subramanya will be judged on whether Apple can finally deliver an assistant that feels as capable as its competitors.

For Apple, this leadership transition represents more than a personnel change. It’s an acknowledgment that the company needs fresh thinking to compete in an AI world that has shifted dramatically since Giannandrea first arrived from Google seven years ago.