Meta Snags Apple’s New AI Search Chief, Causing Another Big Blow to Cupertino’s AI Ambitions

Meta has reportedly poached Ke Yang, the executive Apple had just appointed to lead its new AI search team. Yang was heading Apple’s secretive Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) group - the same team working on making Siri smarter and more like ChatGPT.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Yang’s sudden move to Meta Platforms comes only weeks after he took charge of AKI. The team was tasked with creating an AI system that could pull information from the web and give conversational replies just like ChatGPT or Gemini. 

Apple’s AI Plans Hit Another Roadblock

This isn’t the first time Apple has lost key talent to its AI rivals. Over the past few months, several top researchers have left for companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and most notably, Meta.

That list includes Jian Zhang, Apple’s former lead researcher for robotics; Ruoming Pang, who led Apple’s foundation models team; and Frank Chu, who oversaw Apple AI’s cloud and search operations. All three have now joined Meta’s growing AI division in Menlo Park.

Apple has been quietly working on several ChatGPT-style tools of its own. The AKI team, which includes many former Siri engineers,  is reportedly building the foundation for AI search features in Siri, Safari, and Spotlight. The company even plans to release a standalone AI answer app in the future.

But losing the very executive leading that effort is a major setback for Apple’s AI roadmap, especially as it tries to catch up with Google, OpenAI, and Meta -  all of whom are racing ahead in generative AI.

Meta’s Aggressive AI Hiring Streak

For Meta, this move continues its aggressive AI hiring spree. Over the past year, the company has been openly recruiting engineers and researchers from other tech giants to strengthen its LLaMA model and AI assistant development.
Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that AI is Meta’s top priority. Snagging Apple’s top search expert is another strong signal of Meta’s growing ambitions.

A Familiar Story for Apple

This isn’t the first time Apple has faced talent trouble. Back in 2021, the company lost several key members of its electric car project to rivals like Tesla and Rivian. Now, history seems to be repeating itself, this time in the AI world.

Read More: Meta Revives Local Job Listings on Facebook Marketplace: What It Means