Apple’s AI strategy is steered by software head Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell; the engineering lead behind the Vision Pro and now Siri. Meanwhile, AI research remains under John Giannandrea, who was recently stripped of direct oversight of key AI consumer products amid delays and criticism of Apple’s AI rollout.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL), which lags behind its mega-cap tech peers in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, suffered a setback as Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) reportedly poached one of its key AI personnel.

The major departure, the most significant in Apple’s AI ranks since the company started working on Apple Intelligence a few years ago, underscores the heightened competition for talent in the