Apple just lost another key AI researcher, and this time, it’s to Meta. Jian Zhang, who led robotics research inside Apple’s AI and machine learning division, has joined Meta’s Robotics Studio. His decision to switch adds to the growing list of Apple AI staff heading for the exits, raising questions about the company’s ability to compete at the top of the field.
Over the past week, three more researchers from Apple’s foundation models team have left the company. John Peebles and Nan Du are going to OpenAI, while Zhao Meng is joining Anthropic. The internal group at Apple, which was central to building the models behind Apple Intelligence, has already lost around 10 people in recent weeks, including its leader, Ruoming Pang. Pang left for Meta after securing a multiyear, $200 million deal.
The timing is rough for Apple. Apple Intelligence, which launched last year as part of the company’s big push into AI, hasn’t delivered the kind of excitement the company was hoping for. Internally, morale has slipped, with some staff debating whether Apple should keep building its own models or lean more heavily on outside technology. Bloomberg has reported that those conversations are happening inside the company right now.
Zhang’s exit from the company also puts a spotlight on Apple’s robotics ambitions. His team was focused on exploring how AI could power future devices, separate from the product-oriented robotics group now working within Apple’s hardware division. Apple has been developing concepts ranging from a tabletop device with a moving display to robotic arms designed for retail and manufacturing. However, progress has been uneven, and talent is thinning out.
Meta, on the other hand, is moving in the opposite direction, as Zhang will now be part of that effort under Meta’s Reality Labs. Alongside the company’s big plan for AI initiatives includes: augmented reality glasses, wearable AI devices, and virtual assistance. The company is also building a full robotics stack: software, hardware, and operating systems, with plans for humanoid robots.
Apple’s stock dropped 1.5% on Tuesday after Bloomberg’s report, and the company could see more of its AI researchers walk out next as they’re now looking at opportunities elsewhere.