PolyAI Co-founder Nikola Mrkšić Discusses Leaving Apple Over Siri Dissatisfaction
In a podcast clip, PolyAI co-founder Nikola Mrkšić reveals he worked on Siri at Apple before leaving to build voice AI that excels at one specific job. The segment from 'The Unlock' highlights a concrete example of core AI talent moving from big tech to vertical startups.
PolyAI co-founder Nikola Mrkšić recently appeared in a clip from the tech interview show 'The Unlock with Oliver Bruce,' sharing his experience of leaving Apple to found PolyAI. Mrkšić previously worked on Siri within Apple, noting in the description that persistent feedback about Siri's poor performance ('People kept telling me Siri's sh*t') motivated him to leave and build voice AI focused on doing one job really well.
This narrative provides a micro-view of AI talent mobility and competitive dynamics within major tech companies. Mrkšić's startup, PolyAI, currently builds voice AI agents that answer customer calls for enterprises. Although the clip does not elaborate on technical arguments or market analysis, it clearly identifies the motivation of former Apple employees turning to vertical voice interaction development due to dissatisfaction with general-purpose assistant experiences. For professionals interested in AI industry investment, particularly in voice technology commercialization, this background story reveals a potential driver behind the shift from general large models to specialized tools for specific scenarios.