Apple’s top executive overseeing its AI foundation models, Ruoming Pang, is quitting the company to join rival Meta Platforms. Pang, who managed Apple’s foundation models team, will become part of Meta’s newly formed Superintelligence Labs division, a strategic unit focused on the next generation of AI development.
Pang is said to be making the move in exchange for a lucrative compensation package said to be worth millions of dollars annually from Meta.
The move comes amid intensifying competition among tech giants to dominate the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
In recent months, firms like Meta, OpenAI, and Google have aggressively recruited top-tier talent with lucrative offers and ambitious AI roadmaps.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently restructured the company’s AI efforts under the new Meta Superintelligence Labs division. The unit will be headed by Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old former CEO of data-labelling startup Scale AI. Wang, who now serves as Meta’s chief AI officer, joined the company following Meta’s investment in Scale AI last month, which valued the startup at $29 billion.
Pang’s exit represents a significant setback for Apple, especially as the company has only recently started to reveal its AI ambitions. While Apple plans to deepen the integration of generative AI in upcoming iOS updates and devices, it now faces the crucial task of reshaping its AI leadership at a pivotal moment.
See What’s Next in Tech With the Fast Forward Newsletter
Tweets From @varindiamag
Nothing to see here - yet
When they Tweet, their Tweets will show up here.
