Apple Moves Secret Robotics Unit to Hardware Division After Siri AI Setback

John Giannandrea tim cook

Apple has removed its secret robotics team from the control of AI chief John Giannandrea and reassigned it to the company’s hardware division. The move follows Apple’s broader internal shake-up after repeated delays and underperformance in its artificial intelligence initiatives, especially around Siri.

The robotics team will now report to Senior Vice President John Ternus, who oversees hardware engineering across major Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro. The shift is Apple’s second significant restructuring in recent weeks.

In March, the company also reassigned the Siri voice assistant team away from Giannandrea, signaling a loss of confidence in his leadership over product execution.

Behind-the-Scenes Robot Projects Now Under Ternus

The robotics division, which has been developing AI-driven hardware behind the scenes, includes plans for a tabletop robot with a mechanical limb and long-term ambitions for mobile telepresence devices. That unit is currently led by Kevin Lynch, a longtime Apple executive who previously managed the Apple Watch software and the shelved self-driving car project.

The handover to Ternus consolidates Apple’s smart hardware and robotics efforts under one leader. His team already oversees smart home and robotics-related hardware. Now, with control over AI algorithm and OS teams previously outside the hardware org chart, Ternus holds greater influence over Apple’s next generation of AI-integrated devices.

AI Division Shrinks

The decision also underscores the fallout from internal dissatisfaction with the AI/ML group. Giannandrea, once brought in to unify and advance Apple’s machine learning strategy, has now lost hundreds of engineers to other divisions. His group has faced criticism from employees for its slow progress and internal dysfunction, especially around Siri and the underwhelming Apple Intelligence platform.

According to Bloomberg, Apple executives believe Ternus is better positioned to manage hardware-infused AI innovation. Some within the company view him as a future CEO contender, with the robotics shift potentially setting the stage for broader changes at the top.

Despite the internal reshuffle, Giannandrea remains in charge of core AI research and model development. The changes give his team room to focus on foundational technologies that support Apple’s long-term AI strategy. But internally, the restructuring has sparked speculation that Apple may eventually dismantle the central AI/ML organization built under his leadership.

As reported by Bloomberg, these changes reflect Apple’s urgency to catch up in AI, an area where it trails competitors like Google and OpenAI. With AI reshaping consumer tech, Apple is under pressure not to miss another transformative wave — especially after abandoning its car project and falling behind in the smart home market.

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