Apple faces leadership pressure as rivals poach top talent

Apple is watching a growing number of senior leaders head for the exits as competitors ramp up efforts to challenge the tech giant’s dominance in the device market.

The company revealed Thursday that both its general counsel and head of policy plan to retire next year. This announcement follows a string of other high-level departures in recent days. A leading designer walked out the door Wednesday to join Meta Platforms. Earlier in the week, on Monday, Apple confirmed its head of strategy would be stepping down. The chief operating officer called it quits back in July, while the chief financial officer moved to a different position late last year.

These exits signal a major shift happening inside Apple, though Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook appears to have no plans to leave his post. Cook and the team of new executives coming in must tackle a major challenge: getting Apple ready for artificial intelligence and the new gadgets competitors are building to compete.

Talent drain extends beyond executive suite

The problem runs deeper than just the executive suite. As reported by Cryptopolitan in recent months, dozens of Apple workers have jumped ship to OpenAI and Meta. This steady loss of talented people has taken innovators away from Apple while giving rival companies the know-how they need to try to knock the company off its throne in digital devices.

Apple stays on top as long as people use its devices to access their online services. But other major tech companies don’t like Apple’s control over how apps get distributed, and they’re working hard to break free. Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk all want to control their own paths forward.

This week, Zuckerberg brought on Alan Dye, a top Apple designer, after already taking several key AI staff members from Apple during a major hiring push. He wanted to rebuild Meta’s AI operations. After his “metaverse” project failed to replace the iPhone, Zuckerberg now focuses on AI and smart glasses to reach the same goal.

OpenAI teams up with former Apple designer

Altman spent $6.5 billion to bring in Steve Jobs’s protégé Jony Ive, who played a key role building the iPhone and Apple Watch. Ive’s team includes other former Apple heavyweights. Together, they’re working on an AI device they believe will become the future of computing. OpenAI’s new hardware division has been actively recruiting from Apple lately as well.

A look at LinkedIn profiles shows dozens of Apple engineers and designers with skills in audio, watch design, robotics, and other areas have recently moved to OpenAI.

Musk has thought about making his own smartphone because he’s frustrated with Apple’s market control, WSJ reported earlier. His company X is taking Apple to court over complaints about where his AI app appears in the App Store.

None of these competitors pose an immediate danger. People’s entire digital lives sit on their iPhones. No breakthrough AI application exists yet that would convince them to switch devices, let alone a new device that offers such an app.

But Apple faces a problem. Without a clear AI plan that shows customers and workers the company can meaningfully contribute to this decade’s most important technology, Apple creates room for rivals to make their move.

One executive staying put is Cook despite reports of him being replaced next year. He turned 65 last month, an age when many chief executives think about retiring, but Cook keeps working at full speed. He proved his worth to investors again this year by skillfully managing relations with President Trump, stopping potential tariffs, and pushing Apple’s stock price to new highs.

If Cook can launch successful AI products before he leaves, he can cement his place as one of the great tech executives while setting up whoever comes next for success.

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