Apple Inc. is experiencing its most dramatic leadership upheaval since Steve Jobs’ death in 2011, with four senior executives departing this week and CEO Tim Cook rumored to be leaving in early 2026.

The rapid-fire departures span the company’s most critical divisions: artificial intelligence (AI), design, legal affairs, and environmental policy. While Apple characterized the changes as planned transitions, the concentrated timing and strategic importance of the roles have raised questions about the company’s direction.

John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, stepped down after nearly eight years and will transition to an advisory role before retiring in spring 2026. Engineering director Amar Subramanya has been promoted to vice president of AI, reporting to software chief Craig Federighi.

Alan Dye, design chief and head of human interface, is leaving after more than two decades to become Meta Platforms Inc.’s chief design officer. Veteran designer Stephen Lemay will lead user interface design in his place at Apple.

Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, is to retire in January, with her teams shifting to Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan. General Counsel Kate Adams will retire in late 2026, succeeded by former Meta legal chief Jennifer Newstead, who will oversee both legal and government affairs.

To spice things up even more, Johny Srouji, Apple’s chip chief, has informed Cook that he is seriously considering leaving the company and would likely continue his career elsewhere rather than retire.

The wave follows earlier departures including longtime Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams in July and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri earlier this year.

The departures reflect a broader exodus of design talent cultivated under legendary designer Jony Ive. Nearly every designer from his team — the architects of the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods — have left Apple.

Their destinations tell a revealing story. OpenAI paid $6.5 billion for Ive’s startup, where his team is developing what CEO Sam Altman calls a screenless AI device. Meta reportedly paid more than $200 million to poach Apple’s head of AI foundation models, and this week acquired Dye and his deputy. In one month alone, 25 former Apple employees joined OpenAI’s hardware division.

For the first time since Jobs returned in 1997, Apple has eliminated the design chief position entirely. Design now reports to operations, a symbolic shift for a company once defined by its design-first philosophy.

The leadership changes coincide with troubling product performance. Apple Vision Pro sales collapsed 75% in a quarter, forcing Apple to pause its next headset and pivot toward smart glasses — a market where Meta commands 73% of the market, with 2 million Ray-Ban units sold.

Apple also faces intensifying legal and regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe, from EU antitrust actions to domestic privacy litigation. Newstead’s expanded role spanning legal and government affairs appears aimed at addressing those mounting challenges.

The company has reassigned several AI-related teams to Eddy Cue’s Services group and Khan’s Operations group in an ongoing internal restructuring.

Apple has moved quickly to announce successors and maintain operational stability. No product delays have been announced. The company insists these are orderly transitions, not a crisis.

Yet the numbers suggest deeper challenges. Apple’s median employee tenure stands at just 1.7 years — the lowest among the top 20 U.S. tech companies. Combined with Cook’s rumored 2026 departure, the changes signal a generational handover at a critical moment.

The company’s AI strategy, regulatory posture, and post-Ive design identity are all in flux. Whether this represents a recalibration or something more fundamental will become clear in 2026 as Apple attempts to define its role in an era increasingly shaped by former employees building what may become the iPhone’s successors — just not at Apple.

The architects of the smartphone era are now designing what comes next. The question is whether Apple can compete with its own legacy.