Apple combines machine learning and Siri teams under John Giannandrea

“Apple is creating a new AI/ML team that brings together its Core ML and Siri teams under one leader in John Giannandrea,” Matthew Panzarino reports for TechCrunch.

“Apple confirmed this morning that the combined Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning team, which houses Siri, will be led by the recent hire, who came to Apple this year after an eight-year stint at Google, where he led the Machine Intelligence, Research and Search teams,” Panzarino reports. “The internal structures of the Siri and Core ML teams will remain the same, but they will now answer to Giannandrea.”

“In the early days, John was a senior engineer at General Magic, the legendary company founded by Apple team members in 1989, including Andy Hertzfeld, Marc Porat and Bill Atkinson,” Panzarino reports. “The Siri and ML teams at Apple, though sharing many common goals, grew up separately. Given that ‘AI’ in general is so central to Apple’s efforts across a bunch of different initiatives, it makes sense to have one, experienced person to be the buck stopper. The haphazard way that Siri has lurched forward has got to get smoothed out if Apple is going to make a huge play for improvements in the same way that it’s doing with Maps.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Lets hope we see the fruits of Apple’s efforts, led by Giannandrea, reflected in Siri and elsewhere (Photos, Maps, etc.) as soon as possible!

Giannandrea’s been added to Apple’s executive bios page here. It reads:

John Giannandrea
Chief of Machine Learning and AI Strategy

John Giannandrea is Apple’s Chief of Machine Learning and AI Strategy, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. John joined Apple in 2018 and oversees the strategy for Artificial Intelligence and machine learning across the company and development of Core ML and Siri technologies.

Prior to Apple, John spent 8 years at Google where he led the Machine Intelligence, Research, and Search teams. Before this, he co-founded two technology companies, Tellme Networks, and Metaweb Technologies. Earlier in his career, John was a Senior Engineer at General Magic.

John graduated from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland where he earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Computer Science and was awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa. John is on the board of trustees at the SETI Institute and Castilleja School.

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Apple’s Siri, HomePod and the voice assistant showdown – April 6, 2018
Apple’s A.I. efforts get shot of adrenaline with Giannandrea coup – April 6, 2018
A.I. defector gives Apple access to Google’s secrets – April 6, 2018
Gene Munster: Poaching AI chief John Giannandrea from Google a win for Apple – April 5, 2018
Apple hires Google’s A.I. chief to improve Siri – April 4, 2018
With IBM Watson Services for Core ML, Apple and IBM add machine learning muscle to enterprise iOS pact – March 20, 2018