Apple continues to experience significant talent turnover in its artificial intelligence division, with at least four more AI researchers departing in recent weeks alongside a senior executive from its Siri team.
According to a Bloomberg report published on January 30, 2026, the latest exits include researchers Yinfei Yang, Haoxuan You, Bailin Wang, and Zirui Wang. These departures add to ongoing challenges for Apple’s AI efforts as the company works to advance features like an improved Siri and its broader Apple Intelligence platform.
The researchers’ moves are as follows:
• Yinfei Yang left to start a new company.
• Haoxuan You and Bailin Wang joined Meta Platforms Inc.
• You moved to Meta’s Superintelligence research arm.
• Bailin Wang is working on Meta recommendations.
These details come from people familiar with the matter, according to Gurman’s report, who asked not to be identified because the moves haven’t been announced.
In a separate but related departure, Stuart Bowers — one of Apple’s most senior executives working on Siri — left for Google DeepMind. Bowers’ role at Apple had expanded last year, and he reported to Siri chief Mike Rockwell. He had also previously worked on Apple’s now-defunct self-driving car project.
Gurman highlights that these staffers are heading to competitors such as Meta Platforms Inc. and Google DeepMind, underscoring the intense competition for AI expertise in the industry. The departures reflect continued turbulence within Apple’s AI division, where the company has faced difficulties keeping pace with rivals in generative AI and has relied and will be relying in large part on external partnerships, including with Alphabet Inc. subsidiary Google.
This latest wave of exits contributes to a broader pattern of talent movement away from Apple’s AI and machine learning teams in recent periods, amid efforts to enhance Siri and roll out more advanced on-device and cloud-based AI capabilities.
MacDailyNews Take: Given the current leadership, if you want to work on cutting-edge AI, Apple is not the place.
See also: Apple Intelligence. Powered by Google
. – January 20, 2026
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Latest blow to Apple: Four AI researchers, top Siri leader depart appeared first on MacDailyNews.
