In a move that reveals the fierce competition in the artificial intelligence arena, Meta has successfully recruited Ruoming Pang, the executive responsible for AI model development at Apple. The deal is described as the latest in an aggressive hiring campaign personally led by Mark Zuckerberg.
A Huge Offer and a Personal Touch from Zuckerberg
According to a Bloomberg report, Pang will be joining Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) lab after receiving a massive financial offer reportedly worth "tens of millions of dollars annually."
His departure deals a significant blow to Apple at a critical time, as the company faces mounting challenges in the escalating AI race.
Internal Struggles Loom Over Apple's AI Division
Pang, who joined Apple in 2021 from Google, was in charge of the foundational models powering "Apple Intelligence" and other integrated features like email summarization and emoji generation.
It appears, however, that Apple's internal efforts were not enough to keep pace with the rapid advancements made by rivals like OpenAI and Meta.
In this context, sources familiar with the matter indicated that Pang's exit could trigger a series of resignations within Apple's AI division, which is reportedly suffering from declining morale. The news follows the departure last month of Tom Gunter, one of Pang's key deputies.
Meta's Strategy: Building an Army of AI Experts
On the other hand, the hiring underscores Meta's offensive strategy to bolster its capabilities.
Reports have surfaced that Zuckerberg is personally overseeing recruitment operations, directly contacting top experts to bring them onto his team.
This isn't the only major talent acquisition for the company. Meta recently brought in other prominent names, including Daniel Gross from Safe Superintelligence and other experts from OpenAI.
With this move, Pang brings invaluable experience in designing small, efficient AI models that run directly on devices—a strategic direction that could fuel Meta's ambitions in developing smart, standalone consumer hardware.
