Who is Amar Subramanya? Apple appoints ex-Microsoft and Google AI veteran to succeed retiring chief John Giannandrea

Apple has announced a major shake-up within its artificial intelligence leadership, naming former Microsoft and Google executive Amar Subramanya as the successor to long-serving AI chief John Giannandrea. The move marks Apple’s most significant restructuring of its AI division since the launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024 and comes at a time when the company is under growing scrutiny over its position in the accelerating AI race.

Giannandrea, who joined Apple in 2018 as Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, will step down and retire next spring, remaining with the company as an adviser until then. The transition arrives during a period when analysts argue that Apple is falling behind Microsoft, Google and Meta in advanced AI development, with its Apple Intelligence platform struggling to win over users.

Subramanya joins Apple with decades of experience across major technology companies. He most recently served as Corporate Vice President of AI at Microsoft, a role he took on in July 2025. Before that, he spent more than 16 years at Google, holding several senior roles, including Vice President of Engineering for Gemini and Gemini App/Bard between 2019 and 2025. He previously worked as a principal engineer from 2017 to 2019 and as a staff research scientist from 2009 to 2017. His earlier career includes stints at Microsoft as a visiting researcher and intern, as well as his first role as a software engineer at IBM from 2001 to 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore University and completed a PhD at the University of Washington.

Apple said in a statement that Subramanya’s extensive background in AI and ML research, and in translating that research into consumer-facing products, will be critical as the company seeks to advance its next generation of Apple Intelligence features. At Apple, he will serve as Vice President of AI reporting to Craig Federighi, overseeing foundation models, AI research and AI safety. Responsibilities formerly under Giannandrea will be redistributed to Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan and Services Chief Eddy Cue.