Apple AI Senior Exec Walker to Leave Amid Siri Delays, Management Shift

Robby Walker, a senior Apple AI executive who previously oversaw Siri, is departing the company in October 2025, amid a broader exodus of top AI talent from Apple. Walker's responsibilities shifted earlier this year from Siri to leading Apple's secretive AI-powered web search project, Answers, which aims to compete with ChatGPT and is scheduled for release in 2026. Siri’s new features were delayed due to technical challenges, with Walker acknowledging the setbacks internally as embarrassing and describing the team’s efforts as swimming hundreds of miles without reaching the destination. The management of Siri was transferred to Craig Federighi, and Apple has since set a 2026 target for launching the delayed Siri capabilities. Walker’s departure follows other significant exits in Apple’s AI division, including Ruoming Pang and Frank Chu, many of whom have moved to Meta Platforms. Despite these leadership changes, Apple continues to develop its AI initiatives, including the Answers project and potential integration of Google’s Gemini technology for Siri.