Apple Inc. is making another major organizational shift by moving its secretive robotics division away from its artificial intelligence leadership. The robotics team will transition from John Giannandrea's AI organization to the hardware division under Senior Vice President John Ternus later this month, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This marks the second major reorganization in recent weeks, following Apple's decision to remove Siri from Giannandrea's oversight in March. The changes reflect Apple's broader strategy to catch up with competitors like Google and OpenAI in the artificial intelligence space.
The robotics team, led by veteran executive Kevin Lynch, has been working on innovative projects including a tabletop robot featuring an artificial limb that can manipulate an iPad-like display. The group has also explored developing mobile robots with videoconferencing capabilities, similar to Amazon's Astro.
Under Ternus's leadership, the robotics unit will join other hardware engineering teams already working on robotics and smart home technologies. The move consolidates related development efforts under a single leader and suggests Apple may be accelerating its work in the robotics field.
The reorganization allows Giannandrea's team to concentrate on core artificial intelligence technology development, including improvements to Apple Intelligence and Siri. However, the repeated removal of major projects from his purview has raised questions about the future of Apple's unified AI and machine learning strategy.
Industry observers note that robots are becoming an increasingly competitive field in Silicon Valley, with companies like Tesla and Meta investing heavily in the sector. After setbacks in self-driving cars and delays in generative AI development, Apple appears determined to maintain a strong position in the emerging robotics market.
The company has declined to comment on these organizational changes.