Apple’s Top Robotics AI Researcher Joins Meta Amid Talent Exodus

Apple is losing some of its most important AI talent, and the latest departure could not have come at a worse time. Jian Zhang, the company’s lead researcher for robotics and artificial intelligence, has officially left Apple to join Meta’s Robotics Studio. The move, first reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by Meta, adds to a growing list of high-profile exits that are raising questions about Apple’s future in AI.

Another Big Hire for Meta

Zhang led a small team at Apple focused on automation technology and how AI could be applied in products. While his group wasn’t tied directly to Apple’s more experimental robotics projects, his work played an important role in advancing Apple’s AI research efforts. Now, he will take his expertise to Meta, a company that has been aggressively poaching Apple’s top AI engineers despite its supposed hiring freeze.

Meta has been making headlines for offering staggering compensation packages that few companies can match. Earlier this year, it lured Ruoming Pang, Apple’s Foundational Models team lead, with a package worth a reported $200 million. Zhang’s move only highlights how effective this strategy has been, even if Meta has faced challenges retaining some of its new hires.

Apple’s Foundation Models Team Hit Hard

Zhang’s departure is not an isolated case. In recent weeks, Apple has lost three more engineers from its Foundation Models team, John Peebles and Nan Du, who joined OpenAI, and Zhao Meng, who went to Anthropic. That team has now seen roughly 10 members, including its chief, walk away. It’s a major blow, considering the group was central to creating Apple Intelligence, the AI platform Apple unveiled last year in a bid to catch up with rivals like Google and OpenAI.

But Apple Intelligence has struggled. Delays kept its promised AI-driven Siri from launching in iOS 18, and the company has faced criticism for lagging behind competitors. While Apple says a smarter version of Siri is still in the works, with a second-generation architecture expected in 2026, morale within the AI division is reportedly low. Some employees are actively interviewing elsewhere, further fueling concerns about Apple’s ability to deliver.

Searching for Outside Help

Facing this wave of departures, Apple is weighing whether to lean more heavily on outside AI technology. Reports suggest the company has held talks with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google about using their models to power Siri. There’s also speculation that Apple may pursue acquisitions, with names like Mistral and Perplexity floated as possibilities. This would mark a big shift for Apple, which has traditionally favored building key technologies in-house.

The market has noticed. News of the latest departures sent Apple’s stock down 1.5%, reflecting investor worries about whether the company can keep pace in the AI race.

The Bigger Picture

Apple’s situation underscores just how fierce the competition for AI talent has become. Companies like Meta are spending aggressively, creating a talent war that even tech giants like Apple are struggling to win. But money isn’t the only factor, Apple’s internal indecision and delays have sparked a “crisis of confidence,” according to industry recruiters.

For now, Apple faces a tough balancing act: it must rebuild confidence in its AI roadmap, keep the remaining team motivated, and decide how much to rely on outside help.