On Thursday, Bloomberg revealed that Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly “lost confidence” in John Giannandrea, the Senior Vice President of AI. Consequently, he will no longer spearhead Siri’s product development, with Mike Rockwell, head of Vision Pro, stepping into the role.
Any advancements regarding Siri would be welcome at this juncture, and I have faith in Mike Rockwell’s capability to reinvigorate Siri. Here’s why.
Rockwell’s Previous Connections with Siri
Although Mike Rockwell lacks an AI-specific background, he demonstrates a keen understanding of product development and is unafraid to voice his opinions.
Before Apple Intelligence was introduced, Rockwell believed that voice control had significant potential as an input method for Apple Vision Pro. Despite this, he didn’t have much faith in Siri and contemplated the creation of an alternative assistant, as reported by The Information:
For instance, the team developing Apple’s mixed-reality headset, led by Mike Rockwell, reportedly expressed disappointment with the demonstrations produced by the Siri team regarding the voice assistant’s control of the headset. At one point, Rockwell’s team even thought about creating alternative voice command methods for controlling the device, but ultimately decided against it.
Ultimately, the teams did not proceed with an alternative voice assistant, but this reflects Rockwell’s initial sentiments toward Siri.
Bloomberg also disclosed that Rockwell has been vocal in his critiques of Siri, proposing new ideas for the assistant “for years.”
Rockwell’s New Leadership Role with Siri
In my view, Rockwell and his teams have established a robust foundation for Apple Vision Pro. While the hardware may be pricey, there is a definite path forward. Conversely, Siri has suffered from poor leadership. Any improvement is welcome, but Rockwell brings a unique sense of optimism.
Furthermore, during Giannandrea’s tenure, Siri Director Robby Walker likened Apple’s latest Siri initiatives to attempting to set a world record. An odd analogy, to say the least:
Walker compared the undertaking to a swim to Hawaii: “We swam hundreds of miles — we set a Guinness World Record for swimming distance — but we still didn’t reach Hawaii. And we were criticized not for the remarkable swimming we accomplished, but for failing to reach our destination.”
One could argue this was merely an uplifting comment for staff, yet equating new Siri features (or rather, the absence of them) to setting a “Guinness World Record” is certainly… intriguing. Apple is already behind in the AI race, and claiming to have achieved a world record while facing delays isn’t the kind of leadership likely to elevate Siri to greatness.
Rockwell is certainly starting with quite a challenge, so I don’t anticipate his new role will be straightforward. Here’s hoping for a more uplifting Siri narrative by WWDC25.
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