Apple is facing a growing crisis within its AI division, as top talent continues to exit — and some rivals are wasting no time swooping in. According to a new report from the Financial Times, the company has lost around a dozen AI researchers, including some of its most senior experts, in just the past few weeks.
Meta and OpenAI are actively poaching Apple’s AI team
The wave of departures began when Ruoming Pang, a highly respected AI exec who led Apple’s foundation model development, left the company to join Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. Pang joined Apple from Google in 2021 and oversaw a 100-person team behind key Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji and on-device text summarization.
His exit, however, turned out to be just the beginning. Soon after, two more senior engineers from Apple’s AFM (Apple Foundation Models) group — Mark Lee and Tom Gunter — followed Pang to Meta. Meanwhile, OpenAI has reportedly poached Brandon McKinzie and Dian Ang Yap, both of whom were involved in core research efforts at Apple.
Recruiters call it a “crisis of confidence” inside Apple
According to Financial Times, AI-focused recruitment firm Razoroo describes the situation as a “crisis of confidence” inside Apple’s AI division.
Ruoming Pang leaving is huge: it sends a signal of a crisis of confidence around what is to come. A lot of the companies we have as clients are saying ‘hey, look at Apple: it’s open season,’ said Razoroo’s AI recruiting director, Aaron Sines.
That assessment seems to align with the broader trend. The Wall Street Journal reports that key AI companies like Meta and OpenAI are making net gains in talent — and Apple, it seems, is falling behind in the increasingly cutthroat race for top-tier AI engineers.
Apple may spend big to stay in the AI race
Apple’s looking to speed up its AI roadmap, and it might take billion-dollar deals to do it. | Image credit — Apple
Despite the recent losses, Apple doesn’t appear to be standing still. During the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook told analysts that Apple is “very open” to major mergers and acquisitions that could boost its AI efforts. While the company has already acquired seven AI-related startups this year, Cook signaled that larger deals could be on the table if they help accelerate Apple’s roadmap.
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We’re not stuck on a certain size company,” Cook said. “If a company can help us accelerate a roadmap, then we are interested.
This marks a significant shift for Apple, which has historically avoided large acquisitions — its biggest to date remains the $3 billion Beats deal in 2014. But with competitors like Google, Meta, and OpenAI moving quickly, Apple may need to buy its way back into the AI race.
The company has reportedly explored partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, and even considered acquiring Perplexity AI, a fast-growing startup in the generative search space. Meanwhile, Apple Intelligence is set to finally come introduce a much improved Siri in spring of 2026.
Aleksandar is a tech enthusiast with a broad range of interests, from smartphones to space exploration. His curiosity extends to hands-on DIY experiments with his gadgets, and he enjoys switching between different brands to experience the latest innovations. Prior to joining PhoneArena, Aleksandar worked on the Google Art Project, digitizing valuable artworks and gaining diverse perspectives on technology. When he's not immersed in tech, Aleksandar is an outdoorsman who enjoys mountain hikes, wildlife photography, and nature conservation. His interests also extend to martial arts, running, and snowboarding, reflecting his dynamic approach to life and technology.
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