Apple Hires Google's Chief of Search and AI John Giannandrea

Apple has hired John Giannandrea, Google's Chief of Search of AI, to lead its machine learning and A.I. efforts, reports the New York Times.

The hire is a big win for Apple and could help the company catch up to the artificial intelligence technology of its rivals. Giannandrea will become one of sixteen executives who report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"Our technology must be infused with the values we all hold dear," Cook told employees in an email this morning. "John shares our commitment to privacy and our thoughtful approach as we make computers even smarter and more personal."


Giannandrea, a 53-year-old native of Scotland, is known to colleagues as JG. He served as CTO at Metaweb before the startup was acquired Google in 2010. Over the past few years he has helped lead Google's push to integrate AI through its products, including Search, Gmail, and Google Assistant.

Engineers with A.I. expertise are some of the most sought-after people in Silicon Valley, with salaries sometimes exceeding eight figures. When news broke Monday that Mr. Giannandrea was unexpectedly stepping down as Google’s A.I. chief, he immediately became perhaps the most eligible tech executive on the market. By Tuesday, it became clear he was never really on the market.

More details in the full report linked below...

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