Dissatisfied with the return-to-office policy, Apple’s machine learning director leaves

On Saturday, May 8, local time in the United States, Ian Goodfellow, Apple’s director of machine learning, announced his resignation after three years in office, in part because of his dissatisfaction with the company’s return to the office policy.

In an email to employees, Goodfellow confirmed his impending departure. While the official reason for Goodfellow’s departure is unclear, he did reveal,Apple’s policy changes to allow more people to work in offices are an important factor.

According to Zoe Schiffer, a reporter for The Verge, Goodfellow wrote in the email:“I firmly believe that maintaining greater flexibility is the best policy for my team.”

Goodfellow joined Apple in March 2019 as “director of machine learning for the special projects team,” according to his LinkedIn profile. His addition shows that Apple is stepping up efforts to develop existing artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

At this time, the profile has not been updated with Goodfellow’s departure. Previously, Goodfellow was a senior research scientist at Google. He is also known for his achievements in Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN, Generative Adversarial Networks), which consists of a Generative Model and a Discriminative Each model is enhanced at the same time.

In accordance with the previously announced return to work policy,Apple asks its employees to return to the office from April 11. Initially, employees were only required to return to the office one day a week and telecommute the rest of the time.

Then, gradually increase the time spent in the office over time. Apple employees will be back in the office two days a week through May 2,Return to the office at least three days a week after May 23.

Of course, not all Apple employees support the return to work plan. A survey of a small number of employees found that many Apple employees are looking for new jobs for reasons including a return to the office policy, the possibility of contracting the new coronavirus, a toxic corporate culture and an inability to achieve work-life balance.

Not long ago, many Apple employees wrote to CEO Tim Cook: “Without the inclusivity that flexibility brings, many of us feel that we have to make a choice: either Family and well-being, and the ability to do your job well, or be part of Apple. It’s a decision none of us would take lightly, and one that many are reluctant to make.”