Apple's Lead Robotics AI Researcher Joins Meta Amid Talent Exodus

Apple has lost its lead AI researcher for robotics to Meta Platforms. The researcher is part of an exodus of AI talent from Apple, which is facing increased competition in the field. The departure highlights the growing competition for AI expertise between tech giants.

Apple Inc. has suffered a significant setback in its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives as Jian Zhang, the company's lead AI researcher for robotics, has left to join Meta Platforms Inc.'s Robotics Studio. This departure is part of a broader exodus of AI talent from Apple, which has seen at least a dozen AI experts leave for Meta, OpenAI, and other companies since January [1].

The departure of Zhang, who was developing automation technology and exploring the role of AI in tech products, highlights the growing competition for AI expertise between tech giants. Meta has been offering AI engineers substantial compensation packages, with reports suggesting that Apple's Foundational Models team lead, Ruoming Pang, was lured away with a $200 million package [1].

The latest wave of departures includes John Peebles, Nan Du, and Zhao Meng, who are moving to OpenAI and Anthropic PBC. The mass exodus has led to concerns about Apple's AI future, with industry recruiters describing it as a "crisis of confidence" [1].

Apple is currently working on a smarter version of Siri that is expected to debut next year, but the company has faced challenges, including a delayed AI version of Siri that did not make it into iOS 18. In an August employee meeting, software engineering chief Craig Federighi announced that Apple has developed a second-generation Siri architecture that will bring major improvements in 2026 [1].

Amid the talent exodus, Apple is considering a third-party solution to power Siri's AI capabilities, with discussions reportedly held with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. However, no final decision has been made, causing tension within Apple's LLM team [1].

The ongoing AI talent exodus has raised questions about Apple's ability to maintain its competitive edge in the AI field. The company's wavering on relying on external technology has also led to further departures, with additional AI team members actively interviewing for jobs at other companies.

References:
[1] https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/02/apple-ai-robotics-researcher-joins-meta/
[2] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/artificial-intelligence/apple-ai-researcher-for-robotics-joins-meta-in-latest-exit-1
[3] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/apples-lead-ai-robotics-researcher-joins-meta-amid-talent-exodus--bloomberg-93CH-4220007