Apple CEO John Ternus has reportedly pressured Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi to drastically accelerate the tech giant's artificial intelligence roadmap. According to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Ternus held a closed-door meeting to express frustration over what he perceives as a reluctance within the software division to embrace artificial intelligence with the same urgency as industry competitors. The push comes as Apple attempts to move beyond routine upgrades to its digital assistant, aiming to catch up with rivals who have already deployed more comprehensive AI ecosystems.
Key takeaways
- Apple CEO John Ternus pushed Craig Federighi to accelerate AI development beyond Siri improvements.
- Federighi has historically maintained caution regarding privacy, security, and societal implications of AI.
- Siri engineering head Mike Rockwell is reportedly weighing a departure from Apple next year.
- Apple is altering its software development cycles for upcoming operating system updates like iOS 28.
Internal friction over artificial intelligence
The push for a faster AI timeline highlights a deeper cultural divide within Apple's upper management. Craig Federighi has long been regarded as an internal AI skeptic, having raised serious concerns regarding the technology's privacy, security, societal impact, and employment implications. While competitors rushed out broad generative AI tools, Apple maintained a more measured approach, a strategy that some critics argue has actually shielded the company from premature rollouts, though it has left iPhone users waiting longer for advanced capabilities.
Despite the recent arrival of Siri improvements that fulfilled older promises made back in 2024, the assistant remains limited compared to competing systems. Users still cannot ask Siri to execute lengthy agentic tasks in the background. However, John Ternus recently pointed to agentic AI capabilities as promising during an earnings call, signaling that leadership wants the company to bridge this gap quickly.
Leadership shifts and development changes
Internal leadership may soon shift as Mike Rockwell, who heads Siri engineering after previously leading the development of the Vision Pro headset, is reportedly considering leaving his role or Apple entirely next year. Rockwell has allegedly felt frustrated by a lack of recognition for his work on fixing the digital assistant. Should he depart, his Siri AI responsibilities could potentially transfer to Google veteran Amar Subramanya, who was hired last year, alongside Federighi deputy Sebastien Marineau.
To help manage future workloads and software stability, Apple is currently adjusting its software development process across major platforms. For upcoming operating system releases such as iOS 28, the company is shifting development cycles to dedicate more time to initial coding, exploration, and feature creation, while shortening the window dedicated to rolling final changes into the operating systems. Internal employees have responded positively to the adjustment, noting it provides vital breathing room for experimentation before features must be locked in for public release.
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