Investing.com -- Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL ). has lost a key figure in its artificial intelligence efforts to Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: META )., as the battle for elite AI talent intensifies. Ruoming Pang, a distinguished engineer who led Apple’s foundation models team, is leaving to join Meta, according to a report from Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter.

The high-stakes hire is part of Meta’s sweeping expansion of its AI capabilities, reportedly backed by compensation packages worth tens of millions of dollars per year. Pang’s exit marks a significant blow to Apple’s ambitions in generative AI, as it accelerates efforts to integrate large language models across iOS and iPadOS platforms.

Recruited from Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL ) Inc. in 2021, Pang oversaw a 100-person team that developed Apple’s core large language models. These models support Apple Intelligence features and are being opened to third-party developers for the first time, a notable shift in the company’s typically closed ecosystem.

Bloomberg reports Meta also hired OpenAI’s Yuanzhi Li and Anthropic’s Anton Bakhtin this week, aligning with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s push to build a “superintelligence” AI unit. Meta has recently brought on prominent figures like Alexandr Wang, Daniel Gross, and Nat Friedman through similarly lucrative offers.

Apple’s AI strategy, long kept under wraps, showed signs of openness with its developer initiatives in June, aiming to keep pace with rivals’ rapid AI deployment. Pang’s departure raises questions about Apple’s internal stability and its ability to attract and retain key talent in a red-hot sector.

While Apple has not commented publicly on personnel changes, the loss may complicate its bid to compete directly with AI leaders like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. Pang’s new role at Meta has not been disclosed, but sources say he will contribute to its most advanced model development efforts.

As Meta deepens its bench with top-tier researchers, its talent offensive increasingly impacts competitors’ ability to hold the line. Apple’s AI roadmap may now depend not just on technology, but on retaining the people who build it.