Apple is entrusting its crucial AI direction to Amar Subramanya, a seasoned professional from both Google and Microsoft, marking one of the firm's most significant leadership shifts since the introduction of Apple Intelligence in the previous year. This long-serving researcher has now assumed the position of vice president of AI, taking over from John Giannandrea, who is set to depart and retire in the spring of 2026, following his tenure as Apple’s AI lead since 2018.
TL;DR
- Apple appoints Amar Subramanya, formerly of Google and Microsoft, as VP of AI, a major leadership shift.
- Subramanya will lead Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety, reporting to Craig Federighi.
- John Giannandrea, Apple's AI lead since 2018, will retire in spring 2026 after a consulting period.
- This move comes as Apple faces scrutiny for lagging in generative AI deployment compared to competitors.
In a company announcement, Apple announced that Subramanya will be accountable to software leader Craig Federighi and will head up “Apple Foundation Models, ML research, and AI Safety and Evaluation,” positioning him as a key figure for the technology supporting upcoming AI capabilities on the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple's diverse offerings. Duties formerly managed by Giannandrea will be reallocated to COO Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue, who directs Apple’s Services unit.
Subramanya joins Apple with a résumé with over twenty years of experience, having focused his academic and professional pursuits on machine learning and extensive AI systems, and implementing that expertise at prominent Silicon Valley firms. Shortly before his move to Apple, Subramanya began a position at Microsoft in July as its corporate vice president of AI, where his responsibilities included foundation models that fueled offerings such as Microsoft Copilot, the firm's AI assistant integrated into productivity applications and business solutions. This followed a 16-year tenure at Google, where he ultimately led engineering for Gemini, Google's AI assistant and premier generative AI offering, which is now having a moment.
Subramanya's tenure at Google saw him advance from a staff research scientist to a principal engineer, and subsequently to vice president of engineering, where he guided groups that connected machine-learning discoveries with widespread consumer offerings. He also collaborated with DeepMind, Google's AI research division, strengthening his involvement with advanced efforts in model development and implementation, as reported by various sources.
Subramanya, much like many individuals in Silicon Valley, has connections to both India and the United States. He earned He earned a bachelor of engineering in electrical, electronics, and communications from Bangalore University in 2001, subsequently obtaining a PhD in computer science from The University of Washington in 2009. His doctoral research focused on semi-supervised learning and graphical models, techniques for effectively training AI systems when there's a lack of labeled data. He received a Microsoft Research Graduate Fellowship in 2007 and subsequently collaborated with Researcher Partha Pratim Talukdar on authoring the book Graph-Based Semi-Supervised Learning, which covered topics such as natural language processing, entity resolution, and speech technologies. Adding to a portfolio of papers
Apple's action occurs while the firm endures ongoing examination for lagging behind competitors such as Google and Microsoft—along with emerging AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic—in deploying generative AI capabilities, drawing considerable negative feedback concerning voice assistants and comprehensive AI functionalities. Naturally, Apple pioneered a widely adopted voice assistant with Siri, but has since relinquished that initial advantage. Other companies have been quicker to enhance their models for utility and integrate their proprietary AI copilots and assistants into operational processes, whereas Apple has proceeded more deliberately, prioritizing local device processing and data protection in conjunction with Its Apple Intelligence launch.
Giannandrea, who previously led AI and Search at Google before coming to Apple in 2018, established the group responsible for Apple's present AI framework, encompassing its proprietary foundation models, as well as its search and knowledge capabilities. He's slated to continue as a consultant until his retirement in spring 2026, allowing Apple a period of adjustment as Subramanya assumes his new role.
CEO Tim Cook framed the handoff as both a thank-you and a reset for Apple’s AI ambitions.
“We are thankful for the role John played in building and advancing our AI work, helping Apple continue to innovate and enrich the lives of our users,” he said in the company’s announcement. “AI has long been central to Apple’s strategy, and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple.”
