Recent reports suggest that Apple is losing considerable talent within its AI efforts, as three of its top engineers working on large language AI models have jumped ship to Google. Srinivasan Venkatachary, Steven Baker, and Anand Shukl quit Apple late last year, citing that Google was a better place for them to work on the large language models of tools like ChatGPT technology. They were personally poached by Google CEO Sundar Pichai despite Tim Cook’s efforts to retain them.
This huge exit of engineers indicates that Apple is having difficulty in increasing the intelligence of its own AI assistant, Siri, in the face of the popularity of large language models. In 2018, Apple brought in former Google engineer John Giannandrea to lead its machine learning and AI efforts; however, for the last five years, few improvements have been made due to organizational dysfunction and lack of ambition. To keep up with the AI race, Apple needs to upgrade Siri and make it more competitive with its rivals.
The rise of large language models have raised many concerns, such as the potential of misuse, misinformation, and bias. To mitigate these risks, Apple has decided to take a slower and more cautious direction with Siri, with responses often reviewed and edited by humans.
Apple is up against competitors such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google – leading technology companies that are making huge strides with their own AI advancements. Critics have warned that many companies are using the AI technology without proper understanding of the risks and potential consequences it poses. As AI becomes increasingly important in the world, it is essential for Apple to find a balance between advancing with the technology without overlooking potential ethical issues.
