Execs and AI researchers who have left Apple — and the one company that’s snapped many of them up
In 2025, Apple experienced a significant exodus of talent in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, losing over a dozen key executives and researchers to competitors and startups. This trend reflects the ongoing “AI talent wars,” as major tech companies fiercely compete for top talent in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Notably, Meta emerged as a primary beneficiary, hiring nine former Apple employees, including prominent figures such as Frank Chu, who was the head of engineering at Apple, and Alan Dye, the former head of human interface design. The allure of lucrative pay packages and innovative projects at Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has proven irresistible for many of these tech professionals seeking new opportunities.
Among the notable departures was John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, who announced his retirement, effective spring 2026, after nearly eight years in the role. Other key figures, such as Kate Adams, Apple’s general counsel, and Lisa Jackson, vice president for environment, policy, and social initiatives, also indicated plans to retire in the coming years. While Apple has made efforts to recruit new talent—such as Amar Subramanya from Google and Jennifer Newstead from Meta—the loss of seasoned professionals raises questions about the company’s future direction in AI development and its ability to maintain its competitive edge in the tech industry.
The departures are not just limited to Meta; some former Apple employees have joined OpenAI and other AI startups, indicating a broader trend of job-hopping in the tech sector. For instance, Brandon McKinzie transitioned from a senior research engineer role at Apple to a position at OpenAI, while others like Liutong Zhou and Ke Yang found new opportunities in emerging AI firms. This shifting landscape highlights the dynamic nature of the AI field, where companies are not only vying for market share but also for the brightest minds that will shape the future of technology. As Apple navigates this challenging period, the implications of these departures could significantly impact its AI strategies and product development in the years to come.
Apple lost over a dozen AI executives and researchers in 2025, mostly to competitors.
REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo
Apple has lost over a dozen executives and researchers this year, with others announcing their retirement.
Meta hired nine of these former Apple employees.
Others left for AI startups, OpenAI, or simply retired.
They’re not called the
AI talent wars
for nothing.
With Big Tech firms scrambling to attract top talent, executives and artificial intelligence researchers have done a lot of job-hopping this year, and Apple employees were no exception.
The company has lost over a dozen employees who worked on its AI projects, from executives to scientists to engineers, and even its AI chief, John Giannandrea, who announced this week he was stepping down from the role.
One competing tech company has been the biggest beneficiary of the departures at Apple: Meta.
Nine of the former Apple employees listed below have landed at Meta, where
CEO Mark Zuckerberg
has been offering notoriously large pay packages and incentives to attract AI talent from across the industry.
Other ex-Applers jumped ship to join OpenAI.
To be sure, Apple has done some of its own recruiting too; its new vice president of AI is Amar Subramanya, who left Google in June to join Microsoft, only to join Apple several months later. Meta’s top lawyer,
Jennifer Newstead
, is departing to become Apple’s general counsel.
Here’s a running list of the AI talent Apple has lost this year and where they’ve ended up.
Executives:
John Giannandrea
Giannandrea was the senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy at Apple and held the role for almost eight years. He will be retiring in the spring of 2026, but will serve as
an advisor to Apple
until then.
Alan Dye
Dye was the head of human interface design and was a pivotal figure in designing some of the company’s software. He will be joining Meta to run a new creative studio inside its
Reality Labs division
.
Kate Adams
Adams has served as Apple’s general counsel since 2017. She will transition her duties to Newstead and retire later in 2026.
Lisa Jackson
Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environment, policy, and social initiatives, is set to retire at the end of January 2026.
AI leaders and researchers:
Frank Chu
Chu was the head of engineering at Apple for nearly six years before he departed for Meta. He is now a software engineer at the Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Ruoming Pang
Pang was a senior distinguished engineer at Apple who led the company’s foundation models team. He joined Meta’s Superintelligence Labs as an AI research scientist in July.
Robby Walker
Walker was the senior director of answers, knowledge, and information at Apple. He announced his departure a month prior to leaving in October.
Tom Gunter
Gunter joined Meta in July as an AI research scientist after over seven years at Apple, where his title was distinguished engineer.
Ke Yang
Yang was the senior director of machine learning at Apple. He was at Apple for six years and described his departure as “bittersweet” in a LinkedIn post. He is now an AI research scientist at Meta.
Chong Wang
Wang was a distinguished scientist at Apple before joining Meta as an AI research scientist.
Shuang Ma
Ma was a senior research scientist at Apple. She joined
Meta’s Superintelligence Labs
as a research scientist in July.
Liutong Zhou
Zhou was a senior applied machine learning scientist at Apple until he left for
Cohere, a Canadian AI startup
, as a member of technical staff on foundation models.
Bowen Zhang
Zhang, formerly a staff machine learning researcher at Apple, joined Meta in July as an AI research scientist.
Mark Lee
Lee was a research engineer at Apple before joining Meta in July as an AI research scientist.
Brandon McKinzie
McKinzie was a senior research engineer of foundational models at Apple, before joining OpenAI as a member of its technical staff.
Dian Ang Yap
Yap was a machine learning researcher at Apple. He joined OpenAI in August as a member of its technical staff.
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