Apple is facing a growing crisis as its top AI researchers continue to defect to Meta, lured by staggering pay packages and ambitious projects. 
According to Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter, this wave of departures shows no signs of slowing unless Apple matches Meta’s offers – which are rumored to be in the hundreds of millions for some candidates.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is betting big on the future of augmented reality (AR) glasses, powered by advanced AI. Over recent years, Meta has poured billions into XR (Extended Reality) and is now heavily investing in artificial intelligence to make those smart glasses a reality. The strategy has paid off – at least in recruitment terms – as Apple just lost its fifth AI expert to Meta’s Superintelligence Labs.
The exits come at a bad time for Apple, with its own Apple Intelligence initiative still in its early stages and the new Siri underperforming expectations. While some researchers have turned down Meta’s jaw-dropping offers – one reportedly refused a $1 billion deal – Apple’s internal morale issues have made many others more receptive to leaving.
Despite these setbacks, Apple hasn’t given up. Behind the scenes, it’s improving its App Intents framework, which should lead to smarter Siri features launching sooner than expected. Meanwhile, the company is exploring its own AI-powered AR glasses, setting the stage for a future showdown with Meta, as well as Samsung and Google’s joint Android XR project, codenamed Project Moohan.
With the tech giants racing to define the next era of computing, the battle for AI talent is more intense – and expensive – than ever.