Meta Hires Apple AI Lead, OpenAI & Google Compete

The AI talent war intensifies as Meta secures Ke Yang, a key executive who recently led Apple's initiative for a ChatGPT-style AI web search. Yang was appointed head of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, crucial for overhauling Siri by integrating web data. His move to Meta, where he will work on turning AI research into consumer products, follows a pattern of high-profile AI departures from Apple to Meta's Superintelligence division. This talent drain raises concerns about Apple's AI strategy and its ability to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Google. Meanwhile, the broader AI market sees continued investment, with Asian markets rallying on AI hype and TSMC's positive results boosting chip stocks. However, some analysts caution that AI investment represents a 'risk bubble' due to herd behavior and excessive capital spending, rather than a traditional valuation bubble. In other AI developments, Ant Group has released a trillion-parameter AI model, Ling-1T, and a new inference framework, dInfer. Nebius AI Cloud 3.0 Aether enhances enterprise AI deployment security with new certifications. Pika, an AI video company, has launched a TikTok-like app for Gen Z, attracting 16.4 million users and raising $135 million. Zendesk is leveraging AI agents and a knowledge graph to improve customer service, handling millions of tickets daily. On the regulatory front, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of a bill aimed at regulating AI chatbots for minors, arguing it was influenced by Big Tech. ShellFans AI has also launched a system to protect social media creators' accounts from attacks.

Key Takeaways

  • Meta has hired Ke Yang, who led Apple's AI search project and the Answers, Knowledge and Information team focused on enhancing Siri.
  • Yang's move to Meta is part of a trend of AI talent leaving Apple for Meta's Superintelligence division.
  • Apple faces challenges in retaining AI talent as it works to improve Siri and its generative AI capabilities, aiming for a Siri update by March 2026.
  • The AI market is experiencing significant investment, with Asian markets rallying on AI enthusiasm and positive results from companies like TSMC.
  • Analysts describe the current AI investment as a 'risk bubble' driven by herd behavior and fear of missing out, rather than a traditional valuation bubble.
  • Ant Group has released Ling-1T, a trillion-parameter AI model, and its dInfer inference framework.
  • Nebius AI Cloud 3.0 Aether offers enhanced enterprise-grade security and compliance for AI deployment, achieving SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications.
  • Pika, an AI video company, has attracted 16.4 million users and raised $135 million for its new TikTok-like app targeting Gen Z.
  • Zendesk is integrating AI agents and a knowledge graph into its Resolution Platform to automate and improve customer service.
  • Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom's veto of a bill regulating AI chatbots for minors, citing potential Big Tech influence.

Meta hires top Apple AI engineer Ke Yang

Meta has hired Ke Yang, an executive recently put in charge of Apple's AI search project. Yang was tapped to lead Apple's effort to build a ChatGPT-style search experience. This move is the latest in Meta's ongoing recruitment of AI talent. Yang will work on turning AI research into consumer products at Meta. Apple and Meta have not commented on the hiring.

Apple AI search lead Ke Yang joins Meta

Ke Yang, who recently led Apple's initiative for a ChatGPT-like AI web search, is leaving Apple to join Meta. Yang was appointed head of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team just weeks ago. This team is crucial for overhauling the Siri voice assistant. Meta has been aggressively hiring AI talent to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Google. Yang had been with Apple since 2019.

Meta hires Apple's AI search project leader

Ke Yang, the executive leading Apple's effort to develop AI-driven web search similar to ChatGPT, is leaving Apple to join Meta. Yang was recently appointed to lead the Answers, Knowledge and Information team. This team is working on enhancing Siri's capabilities by integrating web data. Neither Apple nor Meta has commented on the move.

Meta recruits Apple's AI search project head Ke Yang

Meta has hired Ke Yang, who was recently appointed to lead Apple's AI search project. Yang was in charge of the Answers, Knowledge and Information team, which aims to make Siri more like ChatGPT by accessing web information. This is the latest in a series of high-profile AI hires Meta has made from Apple. Other former Apple AI executives have also joined Meta's Superintelligence division. The departure raises questions about Apple's AI strategy and Siri's upcoming revamp.

Meta poaches Apple's Siri strategist Ke Yang

Meta has hired Ke Yang, a key strategist for Apple's Siri voice assistant, intensifying the AI talent war. Yang recently led Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, focused on making Siri more like ChatGPT by integrating web search. His move follows other high-profile departures from Apple's AI division to Meta. These exits highlight challenges for Apple in retaining talent as it works to improve Siri and its generative AI capabilities. Meta aims to challenge rivals like OpenAI and Google in the AI race.

Meta hires Apple Siri strategist Ke Yang

Meta has hired Ke Yang, a strategist for Apple's Siri, signaling an escalation in the AI talent war. Yang recently led Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, working to make Siri more like ChatGPT by integrating web search. His move to Meta follows other AI specialists leaving Apple for Zuckerberg's company. This talent drain poses a challenge for Apple as it tries to enhance its AI capabilities and compete with rivals like Google and OpenAI. Meta's Superintelligence Labs is actively recruiting top AI minds.

Apple AI executive Ke Yang joins Meta

Ke Yang, the Apple executive leading the development of AI-driven web search, is leaving the company to join Meta. Yang was recently appointed head of Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, which is working to make Siri more like ChatGPT by integrating web search capabilities. This departure is the latest in a series of high-profile exits from Apple's AI division. Yang's move highlights the intense competition for AI talent in Silicon Valley.

Apple AI talent drain continues as Ke Yang moves to Meta

Apple's executive leading its AI-driven web search effort, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta. Yang was recently appointed head of the Answers, Knowledge and Information team, tasked with making Siri more ChatGPT-like by accessing web information. This is the latest in a significant number of high-profile AI experts leaving Apple. The company is struggling to retain talent as it races to improve its AI initiatives, including a major Siri update planned for March 2026. Meta is actively recruiting these experts to bolster its own AI development.

Meta hires Apple AI search lead Ke Yang amid talent crisis

Meta has recruited Ke Yang, the top Apple executive in charge of its ChatGPT-like search initiative, adding to a growing list of departures from Apple's AI division. Yang led Apple's Answers, Knowledge and Information team, which is developing AI-driven search and reasoning capabilities to enhance Siri. His exit comes just weeks after taking the role and adds to concerns about Apple's ability to retain AI talent. Many former Apple AI employees have joined Meta's Superintelligence division, intensifying the competition for AI expertise.

Meta hires Apple AI executive Ke Yang

Meta has hired Ke Yang, an Apple executive leading the development of AI-driven web search. Yang recently began overseeing the Answers, Knowledge, and Information team, which aims to improve Siri by enabling it to pull information from the web. This move is another significant AI talent acquisition for Meta from Apple. Apple faces continued AI team departures, impacting its ability to compete in the AI search market against rivals like OpenAI and Google. The new Siri is expected to integrate personal data for complex tasks.

Apple loses AI talent as Ke Yang joins Meta

Apple's executive leading its AI-driven web search project, Ke Yang, is leaving for Meta. This marks another significant departure from Apple's AI division. Yang was recently appointed to lead the Answers, Knowledge, and Information team, focused on enhancing Siri with web information to compete with AI rivals. Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a touch-screen Mac computer. The ongoing loss of AI talent raises concerns about Apple's future in the AI space.

US stock futures rise on TSMC results and AI optimism

U.S. stock index futures increased on Thursday, driven by positive quarterly results from TSMC. This boosted investor confidence in AI and extended the rally in chip stocks. Major U.S. chipmakers also saw gains following ASML's performance. AI-driven momentum and expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts have supported the market recently. Investors are also watching for comments from Federal Reserve officials and ongoing China-U.S. trade tensions.

Asian markets rally on AI hype and trade talks

Asian stock markets reached new highs, fueled by excitement around artificial intelligence and signs of easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Taiwan and South Korea saw significant gains, with TSMC's results contributing to AI enthusiasm. Regional currencies strengthened against the U.S. dollar as speculation about Federal Reserve rate cuts grew. Despite positive momentum, geopolitical issues and U.S.-China relations remain a concern for the region's economic stability.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt criticizes Newsom's AI bill veto

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for vetoing a bill that would have regulated AI chatbots for minors. The bill aimed to prevent AI from engaging in sexual conversations or encouraging self-harm among users under 18. Newsom cited broad restrictions as the reason for his veto, though he signed a separate bill requiring platforms to disclose AI interactions. Gordon-Levitt believes Newsom was influenced by Big Tech's political spending and that the signed bill contains loopholes.

ShellFans AI offers protection for social media accounts

ShellFans AI has launched a new system designed to protect social media creators' accounts from attacks and suspensions. The AI platform uses algorithms to detect threats like malicious reporting campaigns and suspicious login attempts. It then automatically generates counter-reports and provides creators with steps to secure their accounts. ShellFans AI aims to prevent financial loss and reputational damage for creators by ensuring the integrity of their digital presence. The service also offers data recovery assistance.

Surabhi Sankhla leads AI innovation at Amazon and Kore.ai

Product leader Surabhi Sankhla is shaping the future of AI-powered systems, transforming advanced AI into scalable digital products. Her career includes work in academic research, consulting, startups, and Big Tech, including leading global AI products at Amazon Alexa and Kore.ai. Sankhla's early research focused on designing intelligent, self-governing systems. She has spearheaded large-scale digital transformations, including launching a digital-first bank in India with an AI-enabled lending platform and developing predictive AI systems at Uber and ClearMetal.

AI investment is a 'risk bubble,' not a valuation bubble

The current AI investment landscape is characterized as a 'risk bubble' rather than a traditional valuation bubble. While AI companies are generating significant revenue, unlike past bubbles, the market is driven by herd behavior and fear of missing out. Investors are taking on substantial risks, with private companies being less accessible. The concern is that companies are spending too much capital, jeopardizing long-term viability. This situation may lead to a market correction rather than a complete collapse, with capital potentially locked in overvalued private companies.

Ant Group releases trillion-parameter AI model Ling-1T

Ant Group has released Ling-1T, a trillion-parameter AI model, and a new inference framework called dInfer. Ling-1T shows strong performance on reasoning tasks, achieving 70.42% accuracy on the 2025 AIME benchmark. The dInfer framework is designed for diffusion language models, offering efficiency gains over traditional systems. Ant Group's strategy involves multiple AI model architectures, including Ling, Ring, and Ming series. The company aims to advance Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as a public good through open-source releases.

Nebius AI Cloud 3.0 Aether enhances security for AI deployment

Nebius AI Cloud has released version 3.0, codenamed Aether, focusing on enterprise-grade security, compliance, and control for AI deployment. Aether includes independently validated security certifications like SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, along with alignment to regulations such as NIS2 and DORA. It offers fine-grained governance, observability, and streamlined developer workflows. Nebius also achieved leading results in MLPerf benchmarks and became an NVIDIA Exemplar Cloud, supporting large-scale AI training workloads.

Pika AI app creates short videos for Gen Z

Pika, an AI video company founded by Demi Guo, has launched a new TikTok-like app for creating short, creative videos. The app allows users to generate videos from text prompts and weave themselves or real-world elements into AI-generated scenes. Pika has raised $135 million and boasts 16.4 million users across its creative apps. The platform is designed for self-expression, targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha who grew up with short-form video. Pika aims to provide a more accessible alternative to complex AI video generation tools.

Zendesk uses AI for better customer service

Zendesk is enhancing customer service with its Resolution Platform, which integrates AI agents, a knowledge graph, and automation. The platform handles millions of support tickets daily, aiming to redefine customer experiences. Zendesk supports both fully automated and human-AI collaborative ('copilot') models for customer service. AI enables 24/7 support, instant contextual replies, and analysis of 100% of customer interactions for improved monitoring and performance. Businesses can customize AI tone and personality to match their brand.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

AI talent acquisition Meta Apple Ke Yang Siri AI search ChatGPT AI strategy AI development AI competition OpenAI Google AI investment risk bubble herd behavior Ant Group Ling-1T AI model AGI Nebius AI Cloud AI security AI deployment MLPerf NVIDIA Pika AI video generation Gen Z Zendesk customer service AI agents ShellFans AI social media protection Surabhi Sankhla Amazon Alexa Kore.ai AI innovation Joseph Gordon-Levitt AI bill veto AI chatbots minors TSMC AI hype stock market

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