John Gianandrea, Apple’s head of artificial intelligence strategy, is set to step down from his role next week, marking a major change in leadership at the company’s AI division, which continues to advance its Apple Intelligence initiative.
Gianandrea joined Apple in 2018 after previously leading AI and search at Google and has been a central figure in shaping the company’s machine learning and AI roadmap. During his tenure, he helped build Apple’s core AI infrastructure, including the foundational models and research systems that power new intelligent capabilities across Apple devices.
According to reports, he is expected to move on from his current role and take on an advisory role until his full retirement in 2026. His departure comes at a time when Apple is restructuring some of its AI leadership to strengthen execution and accelerate product rollout.
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To fill this gap, Apple has already brought in senior AI researcher Amar Subramanya to take on the role of vice president of AI. He will report to head of software Craig Federighi and will oversee key areas including AI model development, machine learning research, and AI safety and evaluation.
The leadership change reflects Apple’s broader efforts to strengthen its AI strategy amid increasing competition from rivals such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI. The company has been working to expand Apple Intelligence capabilities and improve Siri, but has faced delays and challenges in matching the rapid pace of advances in generative AI seen elsewhere in the industry.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously emphasized that AI remains a core focus for the company’s future, and the latest appointments signal a renewed commitment to building capabilities in this area.
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