In late April 2025, Apple made another key change in how it organizes its teams. The company decided to move its top-secret robotics division out from under John Giannandrea, who has been leading Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy. This step mirrors a similar move just a month earlier, when Apple gave oversight of Siri to a different leader. Together, these changes mark an important moment, signaling that Apple is refreshing its management structure and putting even more energy into artificial intelligence.
Who is John Giannandrea?
John Giannandrea is Apple’s Senior Vice President overseeing machine learning and artificial intelligence. He has been at the heart of Apple’s efforts to build smarter technology across its devices. Giannandrea and his team have managed projects like Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, and Core ML, the foundation for AI on iPhones and Macs.
In recent years, however, some have felt Apple’s progress with artificial intelligence hasn’t kept pace with rivals, especially as companies like Google and OpenAI have rolled out powerful new AI products. There have been calls for Apple to move faster and be bolder in how it develops these advanced technologies.
Inside Apple’s Latest Restructuring
Now, Apple is making clear changes. After moving Siri to new leadership in March, the robotics division is also moving out from Giannandrea’s group. Instead, Apple’s robotics efforts will now be overseen by the hardware engineering team, led by Senior Vice President John Ternus.
This change is meant to let Giannandrea focus more closely on core AI—the software and learning systems that power almost everything Apple makes. Meanwhile, robotics will sit alongside other hardware projects, where engineers can build and test new ideas for real-world devices.
What Is Apple’s Robotics Team Working On?
Even though Apple keeps many of its projects secret, reports say that its robotics team is working on ambitious technologies. These include a tabletop robot that can move a display similar to an iPad, and concepts for a mobile robot that helps with video calls. Apple is also looking into both human-shaped and unique robots that could find a place in smart homes.
By placing robotics under its hardware division, Apple is putting these projects in the same family as the iPhone and Mac, with direct support from teams skilled in building and launching physical products.
Why Is Apple Making This Change?
Apple’s restructuring signals a few things. First, the company wants to sharpen its focus. By letting Giannandrea zero in on the most important AI software, Apple hopes to speed up progress in areas that touch millions of users every day. Placing robotics with the hardware engineers could help these ambitious ideas move from the drawing board to real devices more quickly.
This shift may also help end competition inside Apple for money and talent, letting both teams work more efficiently. For Giannandrea, the changes mean his job is now tightly focused on the software “brain” behind Apple’s many products, rather than spreading attention across a wider range of projects.
Some see Apple’s moves as an attempt to clarify roles and set fresh priorities, especially as the company pushes to catch up—or even leap ahead—in the race for advanced AI.
The Bigger Picture: Challenges and Opportunities
Apple’s changes come at a time when technology companies everywhere are racing to build smarter software and intelligent machines. In the last year, competitors have made dramatic advances—launching AI tools that can write, create images, and even move robots through homes and offices.
Apple, known for its focus on quality and privacy, now faces a key moment. As the company shifts away from past projects like its long-rumored electric car, robotics and artificial intelligence are seen as exciting, important new frontiers. By realigning its teams, Apple is preparing to push forward, knowing that leadership in AI and hardware could define the next chapter of its story.
A Moment of Renewal
Apple’s decision to move its robotics team under hardware engineering, and to let its AI chief focus more deeply on core technologies, is more than a simple reshuffle. It is an intentional effort to unlock new growth and bring fresh energy to the company’s most important ambitions. As technology evolves quickly, Apple is reworking how it builds the future—aiming to shape what comes next for people everywhere.
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