Apple has seen four more employees leave its artificial intelligence team, with several joining competing firms in the growing AI sector. While the departures highlight ongoing talent shifts, industry observers note that this is not a major setback for Apple.
Who Left and Where They Went
The latest exits include Jian Zhang, a lead AI researcher in robotics, who has moved to Meta’s Robotics Studio. Alongside him, three staff from Apple’s Foundational Models group—John Peebles, Nan Du, and Zhao Meng—also departed. Peebles and Du have joined OpenAI, while Zhao is heading to Anthropic.
A Pattern of Talent Shifts
These changes continue a trend of AI specialists leaving Apple for other companies. Meta has been especially active in recruiting Apple talent, previously securing large language model researcher Tom Gunter and, most notably, Ruoming Pang, former head of Apple’s foundational models team. Pang’s move reportedly cost Meta $200 million under a multi-year deal.
Why It’s Not Alarming for Apple
While high-profile names have made headlines, the latest group consists of non-executive employees. This suggests the impact on Apple’s strategic direction may be limited. Experts also stress that such movement is common across the AI industry, where companies compete intensely for skilled talent. Apple continues to hire aggressively, making it difficult to measure net staff changes from outside the company.
Looking Ahead
Apple remains focused on expanding its Apple Intelligence platform and upcoming operating system updates. Analysts expect the company to maintain its recruitment pace, balancing departures with new hires. As one industry commentator noted, talent churn is “business as usual” in the fast-moving AI space.
