Apple Loses Key AI Expert Ke Yang to Meta
Ke Yang, the project leader in charge of AI-based search functions at Apple, is leaving the company to join Meta. This transition is happening amidst numerous personnel shifts to competitors in the AI field.
Ke Yang led the Answers, Knowledge and Information (AKI) team at Apple, which was working on updating the Siri voice assistant to make it more like ChatGPT, including integrating the ability to retrieve information from the internet. This project is a crucial part of Apple’s plan to update Siri, scheduled for March 2026.
This year, Apple has already lost about a dozen employees from its AI division, most of whom have joined Meta, which is actively forming the Superintelligence Labs team. In the past, Meta has also attracted several senior Apple AI staff members, such as Frank Chu and Chong Wang.
Analysts suggest that these transitions may indicate staff instability within Apple’s AI division. This comes at a time when the company is striving to catch up with OpenAI and Google in the development of generative artificial intelligence. The loss of experts like Ke Yang could slow down these efforts.
| Key Transitions | Previous Company | New Company |
|---|---|---|
| Ke Yang | Apple | Meta |
| Frank Chu | Apple | Meta |
| Chong Wang | Apple | Meta |
