Who is Amar Subramanya, Indian-origin researcher named Apple’s new AI chief?

Apple has appointed Indian-origin artificial intelligence researcher Amar Subramanya as its new vice president for AI, as part of a leadership reshuffle that will see senior executive John Giannandrea retire next year.

In a statement issued late Monday, the iPhone maker said Giannandrea will step down from the role of senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy and serve as an adviser before retiring in the spring of 2026.

Subramanya will report to software chief Craig Federighi, who will take on expanded oversight of Apple’s AI efforts.

Who is Amar Subramanya?

Subramanya is a veteran AI and machine learning researcher with nearly two decades of experience across major technology companies.

Before joining Apple, he served as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft. He earlier spent 16 years at Google, where he headed engineering for the company’s Gemini Assistant project.

Apple said Subramanya will lead critical areas, including Apple Foundation Models, machine learning research, and AI safety and evaluation, all key components of the “Apple Intelligence” roadmap.

CEO Tim Cook said the company is “pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team” and praised his “extraordinary AI expertise”.

Cook added that AI “has long been central to Apple’s strategy”, and Subramanya’s appointment strengthens the company’s efforts as it prepares to introduce a more personalised version of Siri next year.

Giannandrea, who joined Apple in 2018 after previously working at Google, played a central role in shaping the company’s AI and machine-learning strategy.

Parts of his organisation will now shift to operations chief Sabih Khan and services head Eddy Cue to align with similar functions, the company said.

“With Giannandrea’s contributions as a foundation, Federighi’s expanded oversight and Subramanya’s deep expertise guiding the next generation of AI technologies, Apple is poised to accelerate its work in delivering intelligent, trusted, and profoundly personal experiences,” the tech giant said.