Apple's AI division was hit by another exit, with four prominent researchers leaving the company in just a week, Bloomberg reports. This departure shows the growing challenges for iPhone manufacturers as rivals bolster their efforts to attract top AI talent.
Jian Zhang, who led robotics research at Apple, joined Meta's Robotics Studio, part of the Reality Labs division. Meta confirmed the movements on Tuesday. Apart from product development, Apple's Zhang team focused on robotics automation and academic research. The group left this year with one of Chan's team members, Mario Sluj, to take charge of Archer Aviation's AI products in April and have already seen Churn.
Along with Chang, three more researchers from Apple's foundation modeling team, including John Peebles, Nan Du and Zao Meng, have also left. According to those familiar with the issue, Peebles and Du head to Openai, while Zhao joins humanity.
The Foundation Model Group was at the heart of Apple's push to develop Apple Intelligence, a suite of generator AI tools announced last year. But the team is shrinking rapidly. Approximately 10 members, including headrooming pans, have left for the past few weeks. Pang was reportedly provided with a multi-year salary package worth $200 million to join the meta.
The difficulty of retaining Aph's AI talent comes when the industry is engaged in an aggressive recruitment race. Meta, Openai and humanity are all expanding their research teams, and in many cases they invite staff at far higher wages than Apple normally offers. The report also suggests that some of Meta's recent recruits are already on the way, indicating volatility in AI employment.
Timing is a pain for Apple. That Apple Intelligence Platform receives lukewarm water, and insiders say they are debating whether the company relies more on external AI models rather than building everything in-house. The series of exits have also reached employee morale, and it is believed that more staff are exploring employment opportunities elsewhere.
The market responded quickly to news of departure. Apple's shares dropped 1.5% to $228.77 in New York trading on Tuesday, before recovering slightly after the session.
Zhang's switch to the meta shows just how important robotics has become in Apple's long-term planning. The report suggests that Apple is working on several devices, including tabletop systems with movable screens and robotic arms for use in retail and manufacturing. Meta also has a big bet on robotics and hardware through its Reality Labs division, investing in the operating systems and components of humanoid robots along with AI-driven smart glasses.
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