The request to accelerate
Apple's new CEO, John Ternus, reportedly asked Craig Federighi, head of software engineering, to step up the pace in artificial intelligence and adopt a more ambitious strategy. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman reports this in the Power On newsletter, according to IT之家. The stated goal would be to turn Siri into an AI agent capable of completing tasks on the user's behalf, and not merely receiving the functional updates deemed indispensable.
The account places the request at a closed-door meeting held in recent weeks between Ternus and Federighi, who was put in charge of the AI area last year, replacing the previous head, John Giannandrea. Gurman describes a contrast between the CEO's public and internal positions: during the earnings conference call the previous week, Ternus had described himself as optimistic about Apple's AI and confident about the new Siri, speaking of a new chapter for the company and very positive feedback; internally, according to the source, he would instead be aware that the company remains far behind its competitors.
Federighi's reservations and organizational issues
Federighi is described as an AI skeptic, concerned about the implications for privacy, security, society and employment. Ternus's pressure would also stem from the judgment that the manager has not embraced the technology with the same determination as competitors. The market picture cited by the source is that of OpenAI, Meta, Google and Anthropic: faced with this wave, according to the account, Apple could no longer afford to stand by and watch.
The material links the AI question to long-term management problems in the software sector. Federighi reportedly tends to take part personally in relevant meetings and decisions and to discuss matters with those who disagree, drawing on his knowledge of technical details; some employees believe this makes it difficult to advance alternative views and influence product direction. A second element concerns planning: software reportedly operates on 12-18-month horizons, while hardware plans years ahead. According to the source, the discrepancy can slow development and make the features and design of early products less bold.
The text nevertheless credits Federighi with a concrete result: after Giannandrea failed to keep his promises on Siri, he reportedly delivered a new, working assistant in a relatively short time. His ability to solve problems that other executives were not handling is presented as a point in his favor.
What remains to be verified
The news is based on journalistic sources and an internal account, not on official Apple statements; Apple does not appear among the companies cited in the material. The exact date of the meeting, the terms of Federighi's appointment and deadlines for the new Siri are not specified: the statements about timing and goals should therefore be considered reported and unconfirmed claims. It also remains unclear how Ternus intends to harmonize software and hardware planning, an aspect the source calls central for the new CEO but does not detail.
