John Giannandrea, who arrived at Apple with great success seven years ago, was supposed to position the computer manufacturer at the forefront of AI technologies. This Google defector, considered one of the best specialists in the field, took over the head of the manufacturer's artificial intelligence division, with significant responsibilities. He is now in the hot seat. The setbacks of Siri, whose Apple Intelligence functions have been postponed indefinitely, have reportedly cost him Tim Cook's trust.
The AI boss in the hot seat
Since then, the AI division has been Siri's private development is now under the tight control of Craig Federighi - the latter is the all-powerful software boss within Apple. And the bad news is piling up for John Giannandrea: Bloomberg reports that the development of robots, which he was also in charge of, will soon be managed by the group's hardware division.
This division, with its immense responsibilities (it is responsible for the engineering of Macs, iPhones, iPads, and all other Apple products), is controlled by John Ternus, whom many see as the future CEO of the company, when Tim Cook retires. Entrusting him with the reins of the robot teams is a bet on the future: the robotics sector is still in its infancy but extremely promising.
Several big names in technology are investing in robots, whether Tesla (with Optimus), Google, Meta, Samsung, Nvidia... All have the ambition to play a role in home robots. Apple doesn't want to miss the boat, and there's no question of making a mistake like with generative AI.
It is rumored that the creator of the iPhone is planning a robot that tracks the user, like Amazon's Astro. Closer to home, and more realistic, a robotic arm topped with an iPad is also in the pipeline. Development is reportedly well underway, as seen above.
In any case, the company needs to demonstrate that it is still among the leading innovators. Despite the marketing flourishes, Apple Intelligence is nothing short of revolutionary, and abandoning the development of an electric, autonomous vehicle has left a hole in the manufacturer's roadmap. Robots could help him get back in the lead.
As for John Giannandrea, he's still working on the AI technologies that underpin Siri's functions and, more generally, Apple Intelligence. But it's no longer forbidden to think that If he is stripped of his prerogatives, he could simply leave the company.
Source: Bloomberg
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