Apple CEO Ternus Pressures Software Chief Federighi to Accelerate AI Plans

Apple CEO John Ternus reportedly held a closed-door meeting with Craig Federighi, the company's senior vice president of software engineering, pushing to accelerate artificial intelligence initiatives and move beyond basic Siri improvements. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Ternus expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of urgency regarding AI adoption compared to industry rivals. Federighi has historically maintained a more cautious stance, voicing concerns over privacy, security, and societal implications.

Simultaneously, Mike Rockwell, vice president who led the Vision Pro development and later took charge of Siri AI, is reportedly considering stepping down next year. Rockwell is said to be dissatisfied with the recognition he received for updating the digital assistant. Should Rockwell depart, his responsibilities are expected to transition to Amar Subramanya, a Google alumnus recruited last year, and Sebastian Marino, Federighi's deputy.

Apple is also altering its software development cycles ahead of iOS 28. The company plans to allocate more time to coding, ideation, and feature development while reducing the timeframe spent integrating changes into the core operating systems, a shift that has reportedly been well-received by employees.