Apple Inc. is losing one of its key artificial intelligence experts, Ruoming Pang, who is set to join Meta Platforms Inc. This event highlights the challenges faced by the company in the AI sector.
Ruoming Pang's Departure from Apple
Ruoming Pang, a distinguished engineer and head of Apple’s foundation models team, is leaving the company to join Meta’s newly formed superintelligence group. Pang joined Apple in 2021 from Alphabet and was overseeing a team of roughly 100 engineers responsible for its large language models.
Meta's Aggressive Hiring Strategies for Talent
To secure Pang, Meta reportedly offered a compensation package worth tens of millions of dollars annually. This event adds to a growing list of high-profile AI talent that Meta has recruited recently, including Alexandr Wang from Scale AI and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman.
Internal Struggles Within Apple's AI Division
Pang's departure coincides with internal challenges at Apple. Despite the incorporation of foundation models into features like Genmoji and the revamped Siri, the company is exploring third-party AI solutions. This, combined with recent departures from Pang's team, suggests a climate of tension and dwindling morale.
Ruoming Pang's exit from Apple highlights the increasing pressure on the company to retain its talent amid fierce competition from Meta, OpenAI, and Google. This event may significantly impact Apple's future AI strategies.
