Apple is facing another challenge in its artificial intelligence division with the announcement that Ruoming Pang, the executive responsible for the company’s foundation models, is leaving to join Meta Platforms.
Pang, a distinguished engineer who has led Apple’s efforts in AI since his arrival from Alphabet in 2021, will join Meta’s newly formed superintelligence group. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Pang’s departure marks a significant shift for Apple’s AI initiatives.
In a competitive move, Meta has reportedly offered Pang an attractive compensation package valued in the tens of millions annually. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been actively expanding his AI team, recruiting notable figures such as Alexandr Wang from Scale AI, startup founder Daniel Gross, and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman with lucrative salary offers.
Alongside Pang, Meta has also attracted researchers like Yuanzhi Li from OpenAI and Anton Bakhtin from Anthropic PBC, among others. The company has been ramping up its talent acquisition efforts, recently bringing on a number of researchers from OpenAI.
Meta confirmed Pang’s hiring on Monday; however, requests for comments from Apple, Pang, OpenAI, and Anthropic went unanswered.
Zuckerberg has identified AI as a crucial focus for Meta, intensifying competition with players such as OpenAI and Google. He has taken a personal role in the recruitment process, hosting interviews at his residences and reaching out to potential candidates directly.
This past June, Zuckerberg reorganized Meta’s AI divisions to concentrate on “superintelligence,” aiming to develop AI technologies that could outperform human capabilities in various tasks. The company is planning to invest tens of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure over the coming year, which includes enhancements to data centers and chip technologies.
At Apple, Pang led a team of around 100 engineers dedicated to developing large language models, which serve as the backbone for Apple’s AI functionalities. In June, Apple revealed plans to allow third-party developers access to these models, potentially expanding the range of applications for its devices.
However, the foundation models team has recently faced scrutiny under new management, which is considering the integration of third-party AI models from OpenAI or Anthropic to upgrade Siri. This shift has reportedly affected team morale negatively.
Despite exploring third-party AI solutions for Siri, Apple is simultaneously advancing its own architecture based on models developed under Pang’s leadership. These models support various features across Apple products, including email summaries and personalized notifications.
Pang’s exit is notable as it marks a significant loss for Apple’s AI talent pool, particularly given the competitive landscape for emerging AI specialists. Meta’s compensation offers are attracting top talent, presenting challenges for Apple to retain its engineers.
This departure may trigger more exits from the foundation models group, with several engineers indicating intentions to leave for either Meta or other companies. Tom Gunter, one of Pang’s leading deputies, officially left Apple last month.
The foundation models team, which is now under the leadership of Zhifeng Chen, will undergo structural changes, transitioning from a model where most engineers reported directly to Pang to one with multiple managers reporting to Chen. Possible figures in this new management structure include Chong Wang, Zirui Wang, Chung-Cheng Chiu, and Guoli Yin.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software engineering, and Mike Rockwell, who oversees Siri’s engineering, are now primarily responsible for the company’s overall AI strategy. John Giannandrea, who leads the research arm of Apple’s AI, has faced shifts in responsibilities and oversight following challenges with Siri and delays in launching new features.
During Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference, the company showcased only a few AI capabilities, featuring new functions for translating calls and texts. Additional functionality, such as enhanced image analysis and generation, has heavily relied on partnerships with firms like OpenAI and Google. The release of a new Xcode version also integrated AI functionalities by utilizing technologies from Claude and ChatGPT.
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