Mike Rockwell Takes Over Siri as John Giannandrea Exits Apple

Apple is undergoing a significant executive shakeup as Mike Rockwell, previously the head of the Vision Pro project, takes over the Siri team, replacing John Giannandrea. This change comes after CEO Tim Cook reportedly lost confidence in Giannandrea's ability to lead AI development, particularly following delays in rolling out promised Siri features. Rockwell will report to Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, while Giannandrea will remain with the company but no longer oversee Siri. The decision is part of Apple's effort to address criticism regarding its slow progress in AI and Siri's development, which has fallen behind competitors like OpenAI. Paul Meade, a hardware engineer for Vision Pro, will succeed Rockwell in leading that project, as Apple aims to rectify its AI strategy and regain its competitive edge. Internally, the delays have caused embarrassment, leading to tense discussions within the team.