Apple Inc. is making significant changes to its executive team as it seeks to enhance its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts. Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell will now lead the Siri virtual assistant, with his role falling under software chief Craig Federighi. This shift removes Siri from the oversight of John Giannandrea, Apple’s current AI head.
The decision comes as Apple works to improve its AI technology, which has faced delays in development. The Apple Intelligence platform, a key feature of the iPhone 16, has not yet met expectations. The topic was a key discussion point at Apple’s recent offsite gathering of senior leaders, known as the ‘Top 100.’
Rockwell, previously vice president of Apple’s Vision Products Group (VPG), will transition away from that role. Paul Meade, a hardware engineering executive, will take over leadership of the Vision Pro team. Apple sees Rockwell’s experience in developing new products as valuable in improving Siri’s capabilities.
The company has faced some challenges in rolling out new Siri features, including those announced last June. Some of these updates, which focus on enhancing personalisation and data accessibility, have been delayed. Apple initially promoted these enhancements as part of the iPhone 16’s features, but their release has been postponed. Internally, Apple has acknowledged these setbacks and is working to address them.
Siri has had several leadership changes since its launch in 2011. It was first overseen by Scott Forstall, later managed by Eddy Cue, and then placed under Craig Federighi. Giannandrea took over in 2018, bringing together Apple’s AI work under one division. He will remain with the company, continuing to oversee AI research, testing, and robotics projects.
Apple has recently started referring to the Vision Pro and related projects as ‘AI products,’ indicating a broader integration of AI into its hardware. The company is also exploring new AI-driven hardware innovations, such as AirPods with outward-facing cameras to support AI functionality.
To support this transition, Apple has reassigned experienced executives to the AI team. Kim Vorrath, known for managing complex projects, was moved to the AI group in January. More recently, senior manager Aimee Nugent joined the Siri team to further strengthen leadership.
Rockwell has previously suggested ways to improve Siri, including making it more personalised. With his new role, he will now have the opportunity to implement these ideas and contribute to Apple’s AI development strategy.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
