In December 2025, Apple Inc. is undergoing its most serious high - level personnel reshuffle since the death of Steve Jobs. This shake - up has affected five core departments: artificial intelligence, design, legal affairs, chip development, and environmental policy. In a mere one - week span, four key executives who report directly to CEO Tim Cook have announced their resignations. These include John Giannandrea, the head of AI strategy; Alan Dye, the vice president of user interface design; Kate Adams, the general counsel; and Lisa Jackson, the vice president of environmental policy. Moreover, Johny Srouji, the leader of Apple's in - house chip development, has signaled that he is contemplating leaving. This wave of resignations not only reveals Apple's strategic predicaments in the AI field but also stokes market speculation regarding the end of the Cook era. Competitors such as Meta and OpenAI have taken advantage of this situation to poach talent by offering lucrative packages. As a result, Apple has lost dozens of top engineers from its AI team, Vision Pro project, and hardware divisions. To bring stability to the situation, Apple has swiftly restructured its management. Hardware engineering chief John Ternus is now regarded as a potential successor to Cook. Nevertheless, there are still lingering doubts about whether he can steer Apple through the challenges of the AI era.