Ruoming Pang, who led Apple’s foundation models group, is now joining Meta. This isn’t just another job switch. It’s a loud signal. Apple’s AI story is starting to fall apart.
Pang was in charge of Apple’s core AI work — including the tech behind Apple Intelligence and the new Siri. His team had about 100 people. They were building Apple’s big AI push. But that dream seems to be fading fast.
Now, Ruoming Pang is leaving all that behind. And he’s joining Meta’s Superintelligence team. That team is led by Alexandr Wang and is quickly becoming a magnet for top AI minds. According to reports, Meta offered Pang a package worth tens of millions. That’s a bold move — and a clear statement from Meta that it wants to lead the AI race.
But Pang’s exit isn’t the only blow for Apple. Sources say more engineers from the same team are packing up too. Some are joining Meta. Others may head to places like OpenAI or Anthropic. It’s a full-on talent drain.
So, why are they leaving?
Insiders say Apple was thinking about dumping its own AI models. Instead, they were looking at using OpenAI or Anthropic tools. That likely didn’t sit well with the people who had built Apple’s models from scratch. It made them feel replaceable. And when you treat top talent like backup plans, they leave.
This move shows something bigger: Apple is struggling to keep up in AI. Its launch of Apple Intelligence and the new Siri didn’t impress anyone. People expected magic. They got bugs and confusion. Now, even the people building the magic are walking away.
Meanwhile, Meta is not just watching — it’s hunting. Poaching top names like Ruoming Pang shows how serious Meta is. And it shows how Apple is losing grip.
In the tech world, talent is everything. And when your best minds walk out the door, it’s not just a brain drain — it’s a strategy crash.
What happens next?
Meta’s Superintelligence group just got stronger. Apple just got weaker. And the AI race? It’s shifting fast.
The spotlight is now on Pang. Can he help Meta build something Siri never could? One thing’s clear — Apple’s AI dream is now someone else’s project.
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