Ruoming Pang, Apple’s top AI executive responsible for leading the company’s foundation models team, has left Apple to join Meta Platforms’ new Superintelligence Labs division. This move was reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by multiple sources familiar with the situation. Pang was managing a team of about 100 employees working on Apple’s large language models, which power features like Genmoji, email summaries, and priority notifications on Apple devices.
At Meta, Pang is expected to take a key role in the newly formed Superintelligence team, which aims to accelerate advanced AI development. He reportedly received a compensation package worth several million dollars annually, reflecting Meta’s aggressive strategy to attract elite AI talent amid fierce competition with other tech giants.
This departure is seen as a significant setback for Apple, whose AI efforts have lagged behind competitors like Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Apple’s AI models have not been as capable, and the company has even considered integrating third-party AI models for its upcoming Siri upgrade. Pang’s exit may be the first of several from Apple’s AI division, which is currently undergoing internal restructuring and facing morale challenges.
Meta’s AI division, led by Alexandr Wang (former CEO of Scale AI), has been actively recruiting top talent from Apple, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI leaders. This hiring spree, including Pang’s recruitment, underscores Meta’s ambition to lead in next-generation AI technologies, including general and superintelligence initiatives.
This move highlights the intensifying competition between Apple and Meta in the AI space, with Meta making bold investments and hires to gain an edge.