Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a long interview to Wired, in which he answered questions about artificial intelligence technologies, Vision Pro sales, the company’s prospects in the field of medical equipment, device presentation formats and his personal plans.
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The Apple CEO was asked about the prospects for AI features in the company’s ecosystem, collaboration with OpenAI, and the impact of AI on the environment. “The technology is already good enough that we can bring it to people and change their lives, and that’s what we’re focused on. But strong AI still needs to be discussed, and it is very far away,” said Mr. Cook. Apple, he said, had not considered charging for access to AI, considering these features fundamental to the devices: “[AI] is the kind of multi-touch that enabled the smartphone revolution and the advent of modern tablets.” There is indeed a conflict between the company’s environmental goals and the energy consumption of AI data centers, but it is resolvable: “The more data centers, the more renewable energy is used. By 2030, Apple will be carbon neutral.”
The company is experimenting and releasing new types of devices, but Mr. Cook believes that the old ones have not yet exhausted their potential – the same “smartphone will remain relevant for a very long time.” At the same time, the head of the company is concerned about the amount of time people spend on their phones: “I’m worried about people who scroll endlessly. That’s why we do things like Screen Time to try to guide people. We support people who set limits for themselves, such as the number of notifications they receive. We also do a lot in the area of parental controls. I’m convinced that if you look at your phone more than you look at someone’s eyes, then there’s a problem.”
When asked about Apple’s Vision Pro headset not meeting sales expectations, Tim Cook said: “This is a product for pioneers who want tomorrow’s technology today. The Vision Pro ecosystem is thriving. I use the headset all the time and see new applications.” In the long term, the company does plan to release augmented reality (AR) glasses like Meta✴ and Snap: “[AR glasses] are an advancement in form factor. AR is cool. Vision Pro is an advanced technology from an electronics point of view, but we’ll see how things progress.”
Apple is also moving aggressively into the field of medical devices, a status that some of the manufacturer’s consumer devices have acquired over time: “With the release of the Apple Watch, we started with simple heart rate monitoring, and then we realized that we could take an ECG and detect atrial fibrillation. Now we are seeing sleep apnea. I get a lot of letters from people who wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for the wrist alarm.” The company intends to move further in this direction. “I won’t announce anything today. We are continuing our research. We’re giving 100% and working on things we’ve been working on for years. For example, we worked on hearing aid features for a long time before we were able to release them,” said Tim Cook.
He was asked whether Apple was going to return to live presentations of new products. “During COVID, we learned that the audience is primarily online. In the theater [named after. Steve Jobs] accommodates very few people, and we wanted as many people as possible to participate in the announcement. You can do this much more productively in a recording than live, because of the transitions on stage and so on,” said the company’s general director and admitted that he still misses the old presentation format.
Tim Cook also said that he is being asked how long he intends to remain CEO of Apple. “I will work until the voice in my head says, ‘It’s time,’” he promised. Cook also recalled that he has been with the company since 1998, and this has been the vast majority of his adult life, so he treats it with love.