The aim has been to improve Meta’s sagging performance at the cutting edge of AI. The current strategy is focused on getting more and more world class resources who have proven capabilities at delivering; research and productization going on simultaneously. Whether this motley mix crowd created out of hard cash, expertise notwithstanding, under the new brand name of Meta Superintelligence Labs would deliver or not, remains unknown. But what is known is that Mark Zuckerberg is out to spoil the AI parties of quite a few.
The latest setback for Apple has been the exit of Ruoming Pang to Meta’s new Superintelligence Lab. He headed the Foundational Model wing of Apple and has been supposedly lured by tens of millions of compensation. Pang’s transition followed other key exits and may trigger broader exodus from the AFM team. Ironically, Apple was a pioneer with Siri’s debut on the iPhone 4S. The concerns of privacy and quality made Apple move cautiously. It ramped its AI efforts from 2015 onwards – hiring talent like John Giannandrea, launching neural engines, acquiring startups, and developing internal models.
The rise, rise and rise of ChatGPT changed the equation of companies and the businesses itself. By mid-2023, they were piloting an internal LLM (codenamed Ajax). It promised generative AI features with major OS releases in 2024-25. The unveiling of Apple intelligence and Siri enhancements at WWDC 2024-25 garnered mixed to overwhelming reviews. Users and analysts described the rollout as “a yawner,” with key features delayed or causing issues like overheating. Internal debates over whether to continue building inhouse LLMs or pivot to external modes from OpenAI to Anthropic- a schism that dented the team morale.
Led by Ruoming Pang, the 100 engineer Foundation Models team had shipped Genmoji, Priority Notifications, on-devices summarization and more. Now the whole team was in a flux with Tom Gunter having left and Zhifeng taking over. And now the leader himself, Pang, has exited. What does it mean for Apple? It spells a major unrest within its top tier AI team; slowing innovation and denting investor confidence. We can expect delays in foundation AI features and also an increased reliance on third party models and partnerships. Finally, if we talk of competitive vibes, Meta’s acquisition underlines Apple’s weakened position, when the AI captain opts to depart rather than persevere.
THE PIONEERS OF TECH ARE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR AI MODELS. TOUGH TIMES AHEAD.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.