Apple CEO Ternus Presses Federighi to Accelerate AI Software Roadmap

Apple CEO John Ternus has told software chief Craig Federighi to "accelerate" the company's software roadmap and move beyond fixing Siri, according to a Bloomberg report published Sunday, Nov. 8, by Mark Gurman. The instruction came in a closed-door meeting held in recent weeks, and it frames a leadership conflict over how fast Apple can realistically ship AI software.

The account rests on Gurman's sources, relayed by 9to5Mac and MacRumors; Bloomberg's own article sits behind a paywall. Apple has not commented publicly. The takeaway: Apple's new CEO believes the software organization is moving too slowly on AI, and he has said so directly to the person running it.

What does Ternus want changed?

Ternus reportedly wants Apple to move quickly beyond "merely making necessary improvements to Siri." The report describes a CEO who sees too little urgency on AI compared with competitors. He took over as CEO on Sept. 1, and Bloomberg reported on Sept. 29 that he was weighing an engineering-led overhaul aimed at a faster, leaner company, with more frequent product launches and cuts to management roles.

The Nov. 8 report is the clearest signal yet that the software side is a target of that overhaul. In plain words, the new boss thinks Apple's AI pace is a problem he intends to fix.

How firm is Federighi's position?

Federighi became Apple's AI chief after the company removed its former AI leader last year, as 9to5Mac notes. Gurman reports that he takes a hands-on role in meetings and major decisions, and some employees say that leaves little room for competing ideas. He debates opposing views hard and uses his technical command to push back on proposals he disagrees with, which has frustrated some software engineering and design staff who feel they have little influence over product direction.

There is a structural mismatch as well. Federighi reportedly plans on a 12-to-18-month timeframe, while Apple's hardware engineering organization, where Ternus spent his career, works from multi-year roadmaps. That difference in planning horizons now sits at the center of the disagreement.

Despite the friction, Gurman reports no sign that Federighi is leaving. Federighi has made developing a succession plan a very low priority. Simply put, his job appears safe even as his timeline comes under pressure.

Is Mike Rockwell leaving?

Mike Rockwell, who created the Vision Pro and now leads Siri engineering, is still seriously considering stepping down, possibly next year, Gurman reports. A departure could mean leaving his Siri role or Apple altogether.

9to5Mac describes his exit as a major blow, given his role in bringing the new Siri to market after what the outlet calls an embarrassing two-year delay. Rockwell's decision is one of the most consequential open questions in Apple's AI organization.

Could Siri become an agent?

In his Power On newsletter the same day, Gurman said Apple could make Siri work "more like an agent" as early as next year. He said he was told Apple "ultimately wants to go in this direction," though the exact implementation is unknown. He pointed to OpenAI's Dots, Meta's Muse and xAI's Grok as examples of agents that track goals and pursue them without step-by-step prompts.

That direction would mark a functional shift, not just a polish of the current assistant. The takeaway is that Apple's leadership sees agentic behavior as the destination for Siri, even if the route is still undefined.

What is changing inside Apple's engineering process?

Apple is testing a development pipeline that would give engineers 50% more time to code and explore, and less time on integration, because coding agents have improved, according to Gurman. The change reflects the same technology Apple wants to bring to users: AI tools that take over routine work.

Two things to watch now are whether Rockwell stays and whether Apple's 2027 software releases show the faster cadence Ternus is reportedly demanding. Apple has said nothing about either, and the answer will reveal whether the CEO's push changes output or only tempers.