“Not the first, but the best”: Tim Cook explained Apple’s lag in AI and other innovations

Despite the imminent appearance of Apple Intelligence in the iPhone 16 line, many accuse the company of lagging behind the leaders in the field of artificial intelligence. Apple CEO Tim Cook disagrees with these claims and said in his latest interview that the company has been slow with AI for the same reason it has been slow with every previous innovation. He believes that if you have a choice – to become the first or the best, there is only one option – to be the best.

Image source: Apple

With this philosophical principle – “not the first, but the best” – Cook describes the past, present and, of course, the future of Apple. He believes his company’s top priority is to provide great products that enrich people’s lives: “If you have to choose one, there is no doubt. If you talk to 100 people, 100 of them will tell you: it’s about being the best.”

Cook says good AI is “deeply important” and he uses Apple Intelligence on a regular basis when working with emails. “It changed my life,” Cook says. “It really made a difference.”

Cook is confident that Apple Intelligence will also change the lives of Apple customers. He put Apple Intelligence on par with the iPod’s click wheel and the iPhone’s touch interface: “I think we’ll look back and see this as one of the seminal events that puts you on a different technology curve.”

Cook shared his thoughts on Apple Vision. He acknowledged that it’s a niche product and he primarily uses the headset “as a very expensive way to watch movies,” but noted that none of Apple’s successful product lines took off overnight.

«At $3,500, it’s not a mass-market product, says Cook. — Now this is a product for early adopters. People who want tomorrow’s technology today – that’s who it’s for. Luckily there are enough people in this camp and it’s exciting.”

Cook recalled the skeptics who at one time rejected the iPod, iPhone and AirPods. All of these products took time to become successful: “It doesn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen to any of them.”