Apple AI chief Giannandrea to retire in 2026, Subramanya joins as VP

Apple Inc on Monday announced its artificial intelligence chief John Giannandrea is retiring in 2026.

The Cupertino, California-based consumer electronics company said Giannandrea will step down as senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, and will serve as an advisor to the company until his retirement in spring 2026.

Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 and has been credited with "building a world‑class team" responsible for Apple foundation models, search and knowledge, ML research, and AI infrastructure.

Apple said his leadership advanced the company's capabilities in generative AI, safety evaluation, and large‑scale deployment of ML technologies across products and services.

"We are thankful for the role John played in building and advancing our AI work, helping Apple continue to innovate and enrich the lives of our users," said Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

Apple also announced the appointment of Amar Subramanya from Microsoft as vice president of AI. He will report to Software Engineering SVP Craig Federighi and lead Apple foundation models, ML research, and AI safety and evaluation.

The remainder of Giannandrea's group will be reassigned to Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan and Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue.

"AI has long been central to Apple's strategy, and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig's leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple," CEO Cook added.