Apple hires ex-Google AI scientist Samy Bengio, who left last month after colleagues' firings; sources say Bengio will lead a new AI unit under John Giannandrea
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Monday it has hired former distinguished Google (GOOGL.O) scientist Samy Bengio …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already made John Giannandrea the center of its AI organization, first through his move from Google's search and AI leadership and then by combining Siri, machine learning and AI teams under him. Apple later added another Google AI researcher, Ian Goodfellow, to a director role.
Bengio's hiring extends that recruitment pattern while giving Giannandrea a new unit to run beneath his broader organization.
First-order effects
- Giannandrea gains a new AI unit led by Bengio, adding a former Google distinguished scientist to Apple's AI leadership bench.
- Google loses Bengio shortly after his departure amid the firings of colleagues referenced in the report, while Apple gains his research expertise.
Second-order effects
- Apple's repeated hiring of senior Google AI researchers raises the competitive cost of retaining AI talent for Google, particularly when internal disputes create an opening for rivals.
- The new unit gives Apple a more distinct organizational vehicle for Bengio's work within the AI structure Giannandrea has been building since 2018.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues to recruit senior researchers into Giannandrea's centralized organization, AI competition between Apple and Google will increasingly turn on leadership-team formation as well as product development.
The trend: Large consumer technology companies are consolidating AI organizations around prominent research leaders while competing directly for experienced talent from one another.