Apple Poaches Google AI Chief to Lead Siri Overhaul
Apple hires Google's top search and artificial intelligence executive John Giannandrea to run its machine learning strategy. The high-level move signals a major push to improve Siri and close the AI gap with rivals.
Apple hires Google’s top search and artificial intelligence executive, John Giannandrea, to lead its machine learning and A.I. strategy. This major recruitment brings one of the world's foremost AI experts directly into Apple's leadership team. Giannandrea now stands as one of only 16 executives who report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The move clearly shows that Apple is getting much more serious about improving Siri. Having Google’s former chief of search and artificial intelligence onboard gives Apple the exact expertise it needs to close the technology gap with its competitors. Observers see this as the single best possible hire Apple could make to fix its digital assistant.
The fact that Giannandrea reports directly to Cook highlights the immense importance Apple places on this initiative. If this high-level appointment works out as planned, industry watchers expect to look back at this moment as one of the most significant executive hires in Apple's history.