Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI

[Sowelu]

I would love it if Apple would go back to being different (with integrity) and turned its nose up to the insane and cartoonish craze over AI and calling out the tech behemoths and their megalomaniac, stand-for-nothing, tech-bro CEOs who are screwing memory and chip supply chains, and adding to our climate decline with massive data centers instead of appearing to go all in while pretending that they actually have any substantive AI products or functionality to release, which they clearly do not. But, they've already jumped in the water and started to splash around, so they have no choice but to deliver something that isn't as important to their consumer-base as quality hardware and software is, with the ladder lacking significantly in recent years.

Apple, under different leadership, should have followed their tried and true formula of seeing how their competitors screw up or excel in any given technology, in this case, AI, then pick the bits that work, hire or acquire experts and or companies who are getting it right, make it your own, add in that Apple magic, taunt how their version is less damaging to the climate, mind and soul with safeguards against the inevitable nefarious AI players, then integrate it all into their ecosystem and product portfolio. Instead, they named and promoted their AI book before writing it, and while Apple Intelligence was a clever branding idea, they failed to produce the actual thing behind it.

 

[dannyyankou]

Maybe I’ll be wrong, but I don’t think Apple will ever be serious players in AI. They’ve always been primarily a design company.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

So is the internet.

Yet somehow they manage to keep selling hardware when most of what people do now can be done in any web browser.

I agree with you, but I still think Apple is scared, and there is no "long game" being played. It's all reactionary.

Edit: In the AI side of things.

 

[Ctrlos]

Imagine leaving the most profitable company in history for one that has never turned one only to be working for Microsoft in 18 months.

 

[rappr]

I would love it if Apple would go back to being different (with integrity) and turned its nose up to the insane and cartoonish craze over AI and calling out the tech behemoths and their megalomaniac, stand-for-nothing, tech-bro CEOs who are screwing memory and chip supply chains, and adding to our climate decline with massive data centers instead of jumping into it all while pretending that they actually have any substantive AI products or functionality to release, which they clearly do not. But, they've already jumped in the water and started to splash around, so they have no choice but to deliver something that isn't as important to their consumer-base as quality hardware and software is, with the ladder lacking significantly in recent years.

Apple, under different leadership, should have followed their tried and true formula of seeing how their competitors screw up or excel in any given technology, in this case, AI, then pick the bits that work, hire or acquire experts and or companies who is getting it right, make it your own, add in that Apple magic, taunt how their version is less damaging to the climate, mind and soul, with safeguards against the inevitable nefarious AI players, then integrate it all into their ecosystem and product portfolio. Instead, they named and promoted their AI book before writing it, and while Apple Intelligence was a clever branding idea, they failed to produce the actual thing behind it.

That was probably the idea, but they aren’t immune to market pressures.

John Giannandrea at one point reportedly didn’t think the world needed another AI chatbot. Regardless of if he ends up being right or wrong, I respected the idea that Apple didn’t need to do something just because everyone else was.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I will tell you now. Tim will say just: “it is the best voice assistant Apple ever made!”

That's a bar so low we might trip on it! 😂

 

[txscott]

That "talent" failed to execute on AI for Apple.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

Long live the days when Apple represented the Rebel!

And OpenAI does?!

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

Apple won't buy OpenAI.

They probably will when their insane debt catches up with them.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

They probably will when their insane debt catches up with them.

I don't think they will, if for no other reason that OpenAi are a party to too many copyright shenanigans, lawsuits and privacy issues. They don't want the baggage.

 

[HouseLannister]

Im sad I don't have the reference to understand that joke...

Don't be sad. It means you are younger than me and that can only be a good thing. 🤣

Steve Jobs hired John Sculley away from Pepsi Co by asking “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”

Now that's how you get talent ('cept we are talkin about Sculley )

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

I don't think they will, if for no other reason that OpenAi are a party to too many copyright shenanigans, lawsuits and privacy issues. They don't want the baggage.

Also true

 

[relaxedpanda]

This is nothing new. Apple has struggled to retain and hire talent for the last decade. Many of you who don’t work in tech (or the Bay Area) see what you see online, but it’s a very different story behind the scenes.

Their comp isn’t stellar, the stock is pretty slow growth, and the company is frankly boring and frustrating to work at if you’re skilled at your profession.

The only nice about working at Apple is their benefits are very good and it’s near impossible to be let go for anything. You also have to pay for food because “that’s the ethical thing to do” 🙄

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

Also true

They still might want certain assets though.

 

[bluecoast]

Not too surprising considering a lot of these engineers just like new things to work on. Smartphones have reached their peak while AI in both software and especially hardware presents new exciting opportunities.

Even as an Apple fan, I’m excited to see what Open AIs first hardware offering will be.

I’m in the uk so have no insight whstsover in what’s going on in the valley.

But if you’re relatively young without kids, would you want to live and work in the endless suburbia that is the valley (by all accounts) or live and work in / by SF?

And on something - and at a company that is as you rightly say, is at the epicentre of the most cutting edge thing going on the valley.

 

[bluecoast]

They’ll be back when Apple buys OpenAI.

Them or anthropic when the bubble bursts.

 

[bluecoast]

Craig and Tim may have to get a bigger coffee mug and put in some extra overtime hours. Now we know for sure Tim redesigned the AppleTV logo himself after the skinny font and translucent button guy bailed on them. Not too bad Tim, Not too bad.

It’s amazing what you can do with some clever prompts and image playground.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

It’s amazing what you can do with some clever prompts and image playground.

Interestingly enough, that logo was made with practical effects. I've notified that Apple as a company has been using practical effects in their advertising a lot, probably as a response to people upset at Coke and other companies for doing the exact opposite and the fact that their customer base are said creatives.

 

[bluecoast]

"We're losing talent left and right. You're gonna love it!"

At this rate it’ll just be Tim and Craig presenting in the next WWDC keynotes with loads of ‘acting…’ job titles to their names.

 

[turbineseaplane]

You also have to pay for food because “that’s the ethical thing to do” 🙄

Apple cheaps out on food!?

Ugh ..
That's ridiculous.

 

[bluecoast]

“Stealing” this talent is costing OpenAI a lot of money. Investors will be expecting a return on that investment, whether it’s money, power, or future favors. Also consider: just because OpenAI is accumulating resources doesn’t mean they know how to utilize them. An over abundance of money and talent is not a guarantee of success, but an indicator of excess.

Everyone forgets the era where the market expected Apple to invest deeply in search engines, and Apple was panned for not making a competing Google or Bing alternative. Only later we found out that Google was paying Apple for the privilege of being the primary search engine (billions per year).

The writing has been on the wall for over a year - Apple will not be able to create an AI service that meets or exceeds the quality of entrenched competitors. Why not play the game shrewdly - let OpenAI dump tons of money into “stealing” your “talent” while you simultaneously renew the relationship with Google. Heck, it’s probably super obvious to those teams which is why they are leaving of their own accord. Apple will weather a bad news cycle of “not being innovative”, continue that relationship with Google and at the same time focus on tapping a new CEO who has an appetite for risk and fresh eyes for hardware innovation.

While OpenAI is spending like they just got daddy’s credit card, Apple is playing the long-game here.

Yes I can see a renewed partnership with Google too.

The danger though is that Google will ‘merge’ with ie buy Apple.

Google is developing AI - the next new big thing, whereas Apple have now’s big thing but previous evidence that they are going to come up with the next big thing.

There’s rumours that Apple is working on robotics and AVR glasses. Both of these require genai. And with robotics, genai that understands our spacial world.

There’s no rumours at all that suggests that Apple has anything like this.

However there’s rumours that Google is (and they already have Waymo. Ok alphabet does).

So:

Google = developing the brains of the future. Is ok to good with hardware.

Apple = deep expertise in best of breed hardware design and manufacturing outsourcing. Ai strategy and knowledge = MIA.

Investors will want to get those two inhabitants of the valley hitched in the not too distant future.

 

[NT1440]

So after the bubble pops, do they become Microsoft employees? MS’s deal with OpenAI is genius because they get all the IP when thins whole thing goes belly up.

 

[akula1488]

not surprising. know a couple of engineers working at Apple and Apple is quite a frugal company compared to other big techs. HRs like to low ball, compensation is below market, it is really for people who are also Apple fans.

 

[Wx_Man]

Here’s the correct headline…

Report: Apple bleeding talent to everyone.

 

[bob24]

Not too surprising considering a lot of these engineers just like new things to work on. Smartphones have reached their peak while AI in both software and especially hardware presents new exciting opportunities.

Even as an Apple fan, I’m excited to see what Open AIs first hardware offering will be.

This is a possibly a good part of the explanation yes.

The concern though is that 10-15 years ago those same people would have felt Apple was one of the coolest companies in the world to work on new cool things and would have found new internal opportunities instead of looking externally.

If their engineers are really leaving because they are bored working on old product lines and don’t see exciting opportunities internally as you suggest … it isn’t a great sign about the company’s upcoming products pipeline.