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Apple AI Robotics Researcher, Jian Zhang, Joins Meta, Three Other Employees Leave
Apple is struggling to maintain its foothold in the AI race compared to its competitors like Samsung. The situation gets even worse, with four major researchers at Apple’s AI team resigning during the same week. The tech giant is facing several issues in the development of AI models and has started to rely on external resources.
Departure of Researchers from Apple’s AI Team
Apple's first resignation came from Jian Zhang, the lead robotics researcher. Zhang led a small team that focused on automation and applications. His group is part of Apple’s artificial intelligence and machine learning division. Zhang left the iPhone maker to join Meta Platform Inc.’s robotics studio, which is part of Meta’s Reality Labs department.
However, Jian Zhang was not the only researcher to leave; his resignation was immediately followed by three more people in the same week - John Peebles, Nan Du, and Zhao Meng - who were part of Apple’s large language models team, as reported by Bloomberg.
The tech giant formed this team to develop the Apple Intelligence platform, focused on staying competitive in the rapidly evolving AI sector. However, these departures from prominent researchers have made it difficult for Apple to continue on this track.
Apple Focusing on External AI Models
Apple’s AI team is struggling to offer cutting-edge AI technology in its product lines. According to a Bloomberg report, the firm is compensating for the loss by relying more on external AI models than on in-house AI models.
On the other hand, Meta is investing heavily in robotics, smart glasses, and AI features. With several Apple employees, including Jian Zhang, joining Meta, the company’s confidence to deliver innovative products has increased dramatically.
Mark Zuckerberg has also been seen offering lucrative packages specifically to top researchers that go up to $100 million. Perhaps, salary is the cause for the resignations in such a short period.