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
105 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
105 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
105 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
105 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
105 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
105 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

iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Read Full Article • 81 comments
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Read Full Article • 62 comments
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
Read Full Article • 114 comments
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
Read Full Article • 211 comments
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
Read Full Article • 47 comments
iPhone eSIM Feature

Apple Hints at iPhone 17 Models Lacking SIM Card Slot in More Countries

Sunday August 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Another hint has surfaced that Apple is preparing to eliminate the physical SIM card tray from iPhones in more countries this year. In particular, a source familiar with the matter has informed MacRumors that retail employees at Apple Authorized Resellers in the EU are required to complete a training course related to iPhones with eSIM support by Friday, September 5. There are 27 countries...
Read Full Article • 125 comments