Apple AI and search executive Robby Walker may leave company

Robby Walker, one of Apple's most senior artificial intelligence executives, is reportedly leaving the company. A report citing people with knowledge of the matter claimed that Walker, who reported directly to the iPhone maker’s AI chief John Giannandrea, is set to leave the Cupertino-based tech giant. Walker, who previously led Siri, was also in charge of a new AI-powered web search system designed to compete with Perplexity and ChatGPT. The search system is scheduled to debut next year. His departure is a high-profile setback for Apple, as he was responsible for the company's Answers, Information and Knowledge team.

How Apple is struggling with its AI efforts

Apple’s challenges in artificial intelligence have weighed on the company’s stock this year. Despite Walker’s role and team having been significantly scaled back in recent months, he remained an influential voice in shaping Apple’s AI strategy. His departure adds to the growing list of executives and engineers leaving the division.

Among the ones who left the company were Ruoming Pang, who headed Apple’s AI models group before moving to Facebook-parent Meta. He took many engineers and researchers with him. Last month, Frank Chu, a senior figure in Apple’s search services, also joined the social media giant.

In a March internal meeting, Walker defended Siri against criticism over delayed features, while conceding that the setbacks were embarrassing.

“We swam hundreds of miles — we set a Guinness Book for World Records for swimming distance — but we still didn’t swim to Hawaii. And we were being jumped on, not for the amazing swimming that we did, but the fact that we didn’t get to the destination,” Walker said at that time.