Apple CEO Tim Cook on company’s approach to AI and why it is different from Google, Microsoft

It is the season of artificial intelligence, but not at Apple. While every other tech giant has been talking about AI, Apple and its executives have remained relatively mum, even at its quarterly earnings call, until analysts asked about the company’s strategy and investments in artificial intelligence.

CEO Tim Cook said that Apple has been long working on artificial intelligence, including generative AI, and it is showing up in the company’s research and development spending.
“We have been doing research across a wide range of AI technologies, including generative AI, for years,” Cook told an analyst when asked why he does not talk too much about AI. “We are going to continue investing and innovating and responsibly advancing our products with these technologies to help enrich people’s lives.”

According to the third-quarter earnings report, the company has spent $22.61 billion on research and development this year, which is $3.12 billion more than last year. Cook mentioned that a portion of this budget was allocated towards Apple’s efforts in generative AI.
“Obviously, we are investing a lot, and it is showing up in the R&D spending that you’re looking at,” he added.
“If you take a step back, we view AI and machine learning as core fundamental technologies that are integral to virtually every product that we build,” Cook said in an interview with CNBC.
Cook noted in the interview that Apple’s Vision Pro would not have been possible without artificial intelligence and machine learning. Even though there was no mention of ‘AI’ at this year’s developers’ conference, Apple did announce many new features for iPhone that use artificial intelligence, including personalised voice, live voicemail, and a better ‘ducking’ keyboard, among others.
Why Apple’s approach to AI is different from Google, Microsoft
Everybody has been waiting for Apple’s one ‘generative AI’ announcement, but it is not coming soon. Cook said that the company’s M.O. is to announce things as they come to market, and he plans to stick to that.
In the last quarter’s earnings call, Cook acknowledged the significance of generative AI, saying it is “more than the topic of the day,” and “certainly very interesting.”. However, Cook also cautioned that AI has its own set of concerns that must be addressed.
Bloomberg has reported that Apple is developing an AI chatbot, internally referred to as “AppleGPT,” which is already being used within the company. While not all employees can access it, it is still used to create prototypes, summarise text, and provide data-based answers.
Apple’s senior VP of software engineering, John Giannandrea, who had been overseeing Siri’s machine learning capabilities and Craig Federighi, are heading Apple’s generative AI efforts.
The development seems to be still in the early stages, as it remains uncertain what Apple’s intentions are for the chatbot. Sources say there is a possibility that Apple could make a “significant AI-related announcement” next year.
During an interview, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, mentioned that the company is carefully examining the use of AI and reiterated the importance of responsible regulation around the technology. This may explain why Apple is cautious in releasing its AI products to the public, unlike its counterparts – Google and Microsoft – who rushed it to get anything and everything to do with AI in the hands of consumers.