Apple CEO defends AI delay in company-wide meeting: AI is “ours to grab”

Apple CEO Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting following earnings results and shared with employees the company’s grand prospects for AI.

According to Bloomberg, Cook told staff on Friday 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 said. “We will make the investment to do it.”

Apple has been seen as lagging behind its major competitors in terms of AI developments, and it still relies on partners, such as OpenAI, for some of its AI capabilities. However, it is considering significantly growing its investments in the technology, including building more data centers, according to CNBC.

Cook seems optimistic about the future of AI at Apple and has previously said that the company is open to making acquisitions to accelerate its roadmap.

“We’ve rarely been first. There was a PC before the Mac; there was a smartphone before the iPhone; there were many tablets before the iPad; there was an MP3 player before iPod,” he told staffers, suggesting a major role that the company will play in AI’s development.

The hour-long meeting focused on a variety of other topics, including increasing Apple TV+ viewership, the impact of regulations, and the company’s vision to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Some believe that Cook might have been trying to reassure Apple employees about its AI dedication amidst Meta’s top AI talent poaching spree that has already cost Apple Ruoming Pang, Apple’s distinguished software engineer.

The news comes as Apple reported a 10% increase in earnings ($94 billion between April and June) compared to the same period last year.