Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) division has taken another hit as Ke Yang, who was recently appointed to lead the company’s ChatGPT-like web search project, is leaving to join Meta, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Yang was tapped just weeks ago to head Apple’s Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team, a core group driving the overhaul of Siri expected to debut in March next year.
Apple, Meta and Yang did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Yang has been with Apple since 2019. His departure marks another high-profile exit from the company as the race for AI talent in Silicon Valley continues to escalate.
Meta, led by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, has been aggressively recruiting AI specialists to strengthen its position against rivals such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. The company has also previously hired top Apple executives including Robby Walker and Ruoming Pang, both involved in key AI development efforts at the iPhone maker.
The latest move highlights the intensifying competition among tech giants to attract leading researchers and engineers in the pursuit of next-generation artificial intelligence and superintelligence technologies.
Reuters
