Apple has appointed Kim Vorrath, a veteran executive known for her product development and problem-solving expertise, to lead its artificial intelligence (AI) and Siri division, according to a report. Vorus, vice president of program management, has reportedly moved to Apple’s AI and machine learning division as deputy head of AI, John Gianandrea. The move signals Apple’s renewed focus on improving its AI capabilities, particularly its voice assistant Siri. It faced criticism compared to competitors such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Vorus will join the new team from Apple’s hardware engineering division, where he played a key role in launching the Vision Pro headset.
What Apple’s AI chief said about Vorrath’s appointment
Gianandrea, who has led Apple’s AI efforts since 2018, announced the leadership change in an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. The executive noted that Voras, known for his expertise in organizing engineering teams and streamlining workflows, joined Apple’s AI team after advising Kelsey Peterson, the group’s former head of program management. . Peterson, along with AI executives Cindy Lin and Mark Schoenbrun, will now report to Foras, the memo added.
The move highlights Apple’s increasing focus on AI, which is now considered a priority even beyond the Vision Pro headset. As AI Group’s stature grows, Vorus is expected to integrate Apple’s product development culture into the company’s operations. Gianandrea’s memo also notes that the AI team is prioritizing revamping Siri’s infrastructure and strengthening Apple’s internal AI model this year.
Why this move is important for Apple
Apple launched the Apple Intelligence platform in October 2024 with basic features such as text message summarization. The company later added tools like Genmoji to create custom AI-powered emojis.
However, plans to completely revamp Siri as part of the AI rollout are still in the works, with an improved version expected to roll out in iOS 18.4 in April. This update allows Siri to better utilize customer data, recognize on-screen content, and control apps through App Intent.
Despite these efforts, Siri has faced criticism for its limited functionality compared to rivals such as Samsung’s AI, which integrates Google’s Gemini platform. Apple is also developing a more advanced conversational version of Siri, similar to ChatGPT, that is expected to debut around 2026 and preview this year.
Additionally, Apple faced backlash over inaccurate AI-generated news summaries, leading it to remove the feature from its News and Entertainment apps, with no plans to bring it back.
