The tech world is buzzing with the news of Apple's top AI engineer, Ruoming Pang, joining Meta. This move strengthens Meta's superintelligence strategy.
Ruoming Pang: The competition in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intensifying day by day. While Apple is advancing with its Apple Intelligence features, Meta has gained new momentum in this race. A recent example of this is the move of Apple's top AI executive, Ruoming Pang, to Meta. This step not only adds further strength to Meta's AI strategy, but is also considered a serious blow to Apple.
Ruoming Pang: From Apple to Meta
Ruoming Pang left Alphabet and joined Apple in 2021, where he was leading the Foundation Model team (AFM). This team was involved in developing Apple's AI models that function as 'Apple Intelligence' on iPhone, iPad, and other devices. Under Pang's guidance, a team of approximately 100 experts was working, which also prepared the infrastructure for the new AI version of Siri. However, Meta has now appointed him to its superintelligence group, and according to reports, he has been offered a package worth crores of dollars annually for this role.
Meta's Mission: A Super Team for Superintelligence
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made AI the company's top priority. Zuckerberg personally meets with AI engineers, invites them to his home, and directly participates in recruitment processes. Even before Pang, Meta made several big appointments, such as Alexander Wang from Scale AI, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, and Yuanzi Li from OpenAI. This makes it clear that Meta is ready to lure top talent at any cost to stay ahead in the superintelligence race.
Turmoil at Apple: Questions on the Future of the AFM Team
The departure of Ruoming Pang is not just a personal loss for Apple, but it is also raising questions about the stability of their Foundation Model Group. After Pang's departure, the command of the team has been handed over to Zhifeng Chen, but organizational changes will also be seen. Where most engineers previously reported directly to Pang, this structure is now changing to multi-level management. New managers like Zirui Wang, Chong Wang, and Guoli Yin are emerging.
Questions Arising on Apple's AI Strategy
Apple recently showcased Apple Intelligence at its WWDC 2025, but its focus appeared weaker compared to companies like OpenAI and Google. Apple is still struggling to redesign Siri and enhance AI capabilities. In such a situation, the discussion of integrating third-party AI models (such as OpenAI and Anthropic) into Siri and other features has also affected the morale of the AFM team. Due to this instability, other members of the team may also leave Apple in the future.
Meta vs. Apple: Who Will Win the AI Race?
Both Apple and Meta are making large investments in the AI field, but the way Meta is attracting top-level talent is a matter of concern for Apple. While engineering leadership at Apple is now centered under Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, Meta is making decisions rapidly under Zuckerberg's direct leadership and investing billions of dollars in AI. While Apple has the challenge of retaining its internal talent, Meta is not only pouring money into its infrastructure, but is also succeeding in adding the biggest minds in the tech industry to its team.
