Apple AI exodus: Walker, Siri's management shift lead to departures
Apple is making big changes to its AI division, and Robby Walker—the senior director behind the Answers, Information and Knowledge team—is planning to leave in October 2025.
This comes after Siri's management was shifted from Robby Walker to Craig Federighi, following delays in rolling out new features.
A dozen top AI researchers have exited since early 2025
Walker isn't the only one leaving—about a dozen top AI researchers have exited since early 2025.
Notably, Ruoming Pang, who led the Foundation Models team, jumped ship to Meta with a $200 million deal.
These moves come as Apple shifts robotics and Siri teams away from their longtime AI chief.
Walker's exit comes as Apple pushes back the iPhone's AI focus
Walker also led Apple's upcoming AI-powered search project (set for 2026), but his exit highlights ongoing leadership changes.
Earlier this year, he admitted to his team that Siri feature delays were "ugly" and embarrassing—with new capabilities working only 66-80% of the time, despite the iPhone 16 being marketed as AI-focused.