Apple's AI model executive, Ruoming Pang, is reportedly leaving the company to join Meta Platforms. Pang, who managed Apple's foundational models team, will become part of Meta's newly established superintelligence team, with a total annual compensation reaching tens of millions of dollars. This departure is a significant setback for Apple's ambitions in generative AI, as the company is accelerating efforts to integrate large language models into its iOS and iPad platforms.
Pang joined Apple in 2021 from Alphabet, overseeing a team of 100 to develop Apple's core large language models. These models support Apple Intelligence features and have been opened to third-party developers, marking a notable shift in Apple's traditionally closed ecosystem.
Tech giants like Meta are aggressively pursuing high-profile acquisitions, offering multi-million dollar salaries to attract top talent and lead the next wave of AI innovation. Recently, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg restructured the company's AI efforts, creating a new division called Meta Superintelligence Lab, led by former Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang. Last month, Meta announced a $14.9 billion investment in Scale AI, valuing the startup at $29 billion.
