Report: Apple Removes Robotics Unit From Purview of AI Chief

Apple is reportedly making another organizational change as it aims to accelerate the development of its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.

The company will remove its “secret robotics unit” from the purview of its AI chief, John Giannandrea, weeks after doing the same with its Siri voice assistant in March, Bloomberg reported Thursday (April 24), citing unnamed sources.

Apple did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

According to the Bloomberg report, the robotics unit will move to Apple’s hardware division and be placed under Senior Vice President John Ternus.

Giannandrea will continue to run most of the company’s AI efforts, and the removal of the robotics unit will allow his group to focus on that technology, the report said.

The robotics team reportedly aims to create a new product category for Apple by using AI to power devices, per the report.

The team is working on a tabletop robot that can move an iPad-like display, and has discussed building a mobile robot that would include videoconferencing capabilities, the report said.

It was reported in February that Apple is exploring both humanoid and nonhumanoid robots for smart home applications.

In April 2024, it was reported that Apple was considering entering the personal robotics market as it looked for new opportunities for growth after ending its electric vehicle project.

As for the company’s recent organizational changes, it was reported March 20 that when Siri was removed from the oversight of Giannandrea, it was placed under the leadership of Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell.

The leadership changes associated with that move came after an annual offsite meeting of Apple’s senior leaders, the “Top 100,” at which the company’s AI efforts were a key topic of discussion.

On Tuesday (April 22), it was reported that Apple’s work on Siri will be led by managers who developed Vision Pro, as Rockwell is bringing members of the Vision Pro management team to Siri, replacing or demoting previous managers of the voice assistant business.

While Vision Pro has not been a commercial hit, Rockwell’s leadership of the development of the device showed his ability to produce a well-regarded operating system and product.