04.24.2025
Apple is removing another project from AI chief John Giannandrea, and he will no longer oversee Apple's secret robotics division, according to Bloomberg. After Apple failed to deliver promised Apple
After Apple failed to deliver promised Apple Intelligence Siri features on time under Giannandrea's leadership, Apple asked Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell to oversee the Siri team and future Siri development instead.
Now the robotics team will make a similar move, transitioning to the hardware division where robotics development will be overseen by Apple senior vice president John Ternus instead of Giannandrea. Giannandrea continues to head up Apple's AI and machine learning efforts, and changing the robotics team leadership will give his team more time to focus on new artificial intelligence features. Giannandrea has hundreds fewer engineers to manage, and the shift is a clear indication that Apple leadership does not feel that he can lead multiple teams.
Apple is making major management changes in order to further prioritize Apple Intelligence, as it needs to catch up with Google, OpenAI, Perplexity, and other AI companies that are leagues ahead in AI development.
Kevin Lynch, who oversaw the development of the Apple Watch and Apple's now-canceled car, is leading the robotics team. Apple has several robotics projects in the works, and a tabletop robot with an arm that can move around an iPad-style display could be the first device to come from the robot team. Apple is also planning for a more mobile robot that would be more like an iPad on wheels able to carry out simple tasks, place calls, and answer queries.
Ternus is a top Apple exec and he has worked on some of Apple's biggest products, overseeing the hardware engineering of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices. He already oversees another hardware engineering team working on robotics and smart home technologies, and Bloomberg suggests that Apple's move to merge the two robotics teams could indicate that Apple is ramping up robot development.
This article, "Apple's Secret Robotics Team Gets New Leadership" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
You may also be interested in this
Apple reportedly filed fo…
05.22.2023
Just weeks away from its prerecorded WWDC 2023 keynote address on June 5th, it appears that Apple has secretly applied for “xrProOS”‘ and other trademarks related to its widely expected
Vision Pro prescription l…
06.07.2023
With no apparent supply chain information, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that Vision Pro's Zeiss prescription lenses will cost between $300 and $600.Apple has already revealed that it is in partnership
M3 version of 15-inch Mac…
06.12.2023
Macworld Apple has only just announced the launch of its M2-based 15-inch MacBook Air, but the company is already working on the machine’s successor. A 15-inch Air with an M3
Apple’s headset team reve…
05.22.2023
Macworld As one of the riskiest and most delay-prone projects in Apple history approaches its culmination in a glitzy launch event, leaker Mark Gurman has named the 13 employees who
15-inch MacBook Air: Ever…
05.16.2023
Macworld After launching a redesigned MacBook Air with a 13.6-inch display and M2 processor in the summer of 2022, Apple is reportedly working on a new, larger, model. According to
Secret Apple trademark al…
05.16.2023
Macworld With less than a month to go until Apple’s WWDC keynote presentation and the expected launch of its mixed-reality headset, the company may have accidentally confirmed the name of
Don’t judge Apple’s VR he…
06.02.2023
Illustration: The Verge Just when the metaverse had mostly faded from the headlines, a heavily rumored new product launch appears poised to bring it roaring back. Today let’s talk about
Apple Store Battersea Pow…
06.02.2023
We learned yesterday that an Apple Store at Battersea Power Station would be one of around 50 new retail stores the company plans to open in the next four years
