Apple is facing criticism over its struggles to compete in the artificial intelligence (AI) market, with a recent report attributing the company’s slow progress to a surprise source: CFO Luca Maestri and budget constraints. According to Tripp Mickle at The New York Times, Maestri scaled back Apple’s GPU purchase plans in early 2023, reducing the team’s chip budget by less than half.
The move was reportedly made despite Apple CEO Tim Cook’s initial approval of a plan to double the team’s chip budget. However, Maestri encouraged the team to make use of the existing GPUs rather than purchasing new ones, leading to a shortage of chips for AI development.
As a result, Apple had to negotiate with data center providers like Google and Amazon for computing power, using alternative chips made by Google in some cases. The move has been described as “seemingly short-sighted” and raises questions about the company’s investment priorities.
Maestri is stepping down from his CFO role, possibly as part of a slow retirement plan. His oversight of Apple’s finances makes him an important voice in the decision to increase GPU investment, but the reduced budget has been cited as a major contributor to Apple’s struggles in AI development.
While Maestri’s decision may not be entirely blamed for Apple’s slow AI uptake, it is seen as a significant error given the company’s growing R&D spend and importance of AI. The report highlights leadership struggles between top executives, including Robby Walker, who formerly led Siri, and Sebastien Marineau-Mes, a senior executive in software.
The reduced budget has had a notable impact on Apple’s AI efforts, with experts questioning how much it hurt the company’s progress. As one commenter noted, “it seems wild that such a seemingly short-sighted move happened so recently.”
Source: https://9to5mac.com/2025/04/11/tim-cook-approved-ai-investment-in-2023-luca-maestri-slashed-it