Apple Hires Google Shopping Executive to Lead AI Marketing Push
Apple has appointed Lilian Rincon, a nine-year Google veteran, as vice president of product marketing for AI. Rincon previously led Google's shopping and assistant tools before announcing her departure last week on LinkedIn.
The hire comes as Apple prepares to launch an updated Siri built on Google's Gemini technology. Apple and Google announced their partnership in January, with Apple's next-generation Foundation Models running on Google's Gemini and cloud infrastructure.
Rincon's background spans multiple tech companies. She worked at Microsoft and Skype before joining Google, where she helped build Google Assistant from its early stages and later oversaw shopping features.
Expanding AI Assistant Options
Apple is building a feature called "Extensions" into the redesigned Siri, according to Bloomberg. The feature will let iPhone users access other companies' AI assistants directly from Siri, including OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Users will choose which service to query without leaving Siri. This positions the iPhone as a broader AI platform and creates new revenue streams for Apple through third-party app subscriptions on the App Store.
The Extensions feature won't affect Apple's partnership with Google, according to the report.
Building Out AI Leadership
Rincon joins Amar Subramanya, whom Apple named vice president of AI last year. Subramanya previously worked at Microsoft and Google, where he helped develop the Gemini Assistant.
Apple will detail its AI advancements at its Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled for June 8-12 as an online event. The company said WWDC26 will feature updates across Apple platforms, including new AI capabilities and development tools.
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