chris lattner portraitChris Lattner, once responsible for leading the teams behind Xcode and Swift, made headlines earlier this year when he left Apple to work at Tesla.

At the time, Lattner told MacRumors the opportunity to work on Tesla's self-driving project with the Tesla Autopilot team was "irresistible." Lattner lasted just six months at Tesla, however, and left the company in June.

"Chris just wasn't the right fit for Tesla and we've decided to make a change," the company told The Wall Street Journal after Lattner exited. Lattner went on to announce on Twitter that he was seeking companies interested in a "seasoned engineering leader," which has apparently led to a new role at Google.

Lattner today announced that he has joined the Google Brain team to work on artificial intelligence. Google Brain is Google's research unit, and Lattner is expected to work on TensorFlow, Google's open-source machine learning software.

Tags: Google, Swift

Top Rated Comments

adamjackson Avatar
adamjackson
109 months ago
A company-jumper. The grass is always greener on the other side. Until he finds out it isn't (lasted barely 6 months at Tesla).
I know a lot of Silicon Valley 'company-jumpers' and Chris is not one of them. He was at Apple from 2005 to 2017. Most people I know are at a new startup every 6-12 months. Just because after 12 years at Apple, he was not a good fit with Teslas (ethos, culture, programming, management, whatever it was) and is now at Google doesn't make him a company jumper.

Now, 5 years from now, if he's worked at 10 different companies, your opinion may be valid.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
now i see it
109 months ago
Lots of companies look all nice & yummy from the outside. Then when you finally do get hired, you soon find out about all the petty infighting & incompetent hostile managers. Been there. Done that. Jumping companies is very risky cuz you never know what snake pit you'll end up in. Could very well be worse than the hell-hole you're already in.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zirel Avatar
Zirel
109 months ago
He did a very wrong move the moment he stepped out of Apple’s door.

Now he’s working on better ways to data mine people’s emails and photos, and serve more annoying ads on YouTube.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
Westside guy
109 months ago
A company-jumper. The grass is always greener on the other side. Until he finds out it isn't (lasted barely 6 months at Tesla).
Here's his full employment history since leaving the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2005 - January 2017: Apple
January 2017 - June 2017: Tesla
Hired August 2017 by Google

Yeah, that doesn't really fit the "company jumper" profile. It looks like he just didn't fit well at Tesla.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Asarien Avatar
Asarien
109 months ago
Don't know why he had to even bother posting anything on Twitter when Google gladly takes any of Apple's former employees.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Solomani Avatar
Solomani
109 months ago
A company-jumper. The grass is always greener on the other side. Until he finds out it isn't (lasted barely 6 months at Tesla).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Read Full Article • 185 comments
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
Read Full Article • 100 comments
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 132 comments
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
Read Full Article • 149 comments
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
Read Full Article
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
Read Full Article • 107 comments
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...
Read Full Article • 83 comments