Tim Cook says Apple ‘must’ figure out AI and ‘will make the investment to do it’

Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the company, stating that it’s “as big or bigger” than other technological advancements like the internet and smartphones.
Cook assured employees that Apple will make significant investments to develop AI capabilities, saying “we will make the investment to do it.”
Apple has faced criticism for its slow rollout of AI features, including a delayed Siri upgrade earlier this year. Cook acknowledged the delay and stated that the company is working on a new architecture to improve Siri’s performance.
Cook also referenced Apple’s history of innovation in other areas, such as personal computers, smartphones, and music players, suggesting that the company can apply similar success to AI development.
Apple has been actively exploring ways to accelerate its AI roadmap, including considering acquisitions, and has lost some of its top AI talent to rival companies like Meta’s “superintelligence” initiative.

Apple CEO Tim Cook boasted about the potential of AI and the company’s approach to developing it in a rare all-hands today that was reported on by Bloomberg. Apple has been slow to roll out some of its AI features and has stumbled with a planned AI-powered upgrade to Siri, which it delayed earlier this year.

According to Bloomberg:

The executive gathered staff at Apple’s on-campus auditorium Friday in Cupertino, California, telling them that the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” as the internet, smartphones, cloud computing and apps. “Apple must do this. Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab,” Cook told employees, according to people aware of the meeting. “We will make the investment to do it.”

Cook also apparently pointed to how the company has “rarely been first” in categories like personal computers, smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players but that Apple eventually made the “modern” versions of those. “This is how I feel about AI,” Cook said, Bloomberg reports.

Software chief Craig Federighi also spoke, discussing the Siri delay and how the company originally wanted to build it with a “hybrid architecture.” Under that plan, one system would take care of things Siri can now, and the other would be powered by LLMs, but “we realized that approach wasn’t going to get us to Apple quality,” he said. The new plan is to move everything to a new architecture.

The all-hands follows Cook’s comments ahead of an earnings call yesterday where he said that the company is “open to” acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap. Apple has also lost some of its AI talent as part of Meta’s “superintelligence” hiring spree.

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Q. What did Apple CEO Tim Cook say about AI during an all-hands meeting?

A. Cook said that the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” than other technological advancements like the internet, smartphones, cloud computing, and apps, and that Apple must figure out AI and will make the necessary investment.

Q. Why has Apple been slow to roll out some of its AI features?

A. The article does not explicitly state why, but it mentions that Apple has stumbled with a planned AI-powered upgrade to Siri, which was delayed earlier this year.

Q. What is Apple’s new plan for Siri?

A. According to Craig Federighi, the company originally wanted to build Siri with a “hybrid architecture,” but realized that approach wasn’t going to get them to Apple quality, so they are now moving everything to a new architecture.

Q. Has Apple lost any AI talent recently?

A. Yes, according to the article, Apple has lost some of its AI talent as part of Meta’s “superintelligence” hiring spree.

Q. Is Apple open to making acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap?

A. Yes, Cook said that the company is “open to” acquisitions ahead of an earnings call yesterday.

Q. What does Tim Cook mean by “Apple must do this” and “we will make the investment to do it”?

A. Cook means that AI is a crucial area for Apple to focus on, and he is committed to making the necessary investment to develop and implement AI technologies.

Q. How did Apple’s approach to AI compare to other companies in the past?

A. According to Cook, Apple has “rarely been first” in categories like personal computers, smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players, but eventually made the “modern” versions of those products.

Q. What is LLMs mentioned in the article as part of Apple’s AI plan?

A. The article does not explicitly define what LLMs stands for, but it appears to be a type of artificial intelligence technology.

Q. Is Apple’s new approach to AI related to its previous plans for Siri?

A. Yes, according to Craig Federighi, the company is moving away from their original plan for Siri and towards a new architecture.

Q. What does Tim Cook think about the potential of AI compared to other technological advancements?

A. Cook thinks that the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” than other technological advancements like the internet, smartphones, cloud computing, and apps.