On January 22 (local time), reports surfaced indicating that Apple has made substantial strategic adjustments in its artificial intelligence (AI) landscape over the past year, with software chief Craig Federighi emerging as a pivotal force. Federighi has now directly assumed oversight of Apple's AI division, steering the future course of "Apple Intelligence" features, including Siri.

Last fall, Federighi voiced a desire for enhanced collaboration and subtly hinted at his dissatisfaction with the company's AI progress pace. By December, Apple had centralized its AI leadership under Federighi's purview. This January, Apple made headlines by announcing its decision to adopt Google's Gemini AI model to bolster future AI enhancements.

Internally, concerns have arisen regarding Federighi's cost-conscious approach and his skepticism towards investments with uncertain returns. Notably, he had previously vetoed the use of AI to dynamically reorganize the iPhone home screen. However, his stance evolved somewhat following the late-2022 release of ChatGPT.

Some team members have voiced grievances about the lack of clear guidance on model utilization. In response, Federighi directed the team to assess options for deeply integrating third-party models, signaling a shift towards a more open and collaborative approach in Apple's AI endeavors.