CABLE today shared in a in-depth interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook asking questions about AI, Vision Pro sales, pre-recorded keynotes and more.
The wide-ranging interview covers Apple’s pivot to AI technology, including which Apple Intelligence features Cook finds most useful, Apple’s partnership with OpenAI, and the environmental impact of AI. For example, CABLE asked Cook about OpenAI’s goal of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), comprehensive human-level AI software that would be able to learn, understand and apply knowledge in many fields and to perform tasks for which they were not specifically trained.
Right now, the technology is good enough that we can bring it to people and change their lives, and that’s what we’re focused on. We’re going to keep pulling the rope and see where it takes us.
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(AGI is) a discussion we will continue to have.
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There are so many extraordinary benefits for humanity. Are there certain things you need to have guardrails on? Of course. We are very careful about the things we do and don’t do. I hope others are too. AGI itself is far away, at least. We will determine along the way what the guardrails should be in such an environment.
Cook added that Apple never considered charging a fee for “Apple Intelligence,” viewing it as a fundamental feature like multitouch. He said Apple sees “the smartphone lasting a very long time,” despite the emergence of AI-driven devices. When asked if he was concerned about the amount of time users spend using smartphones, Cook responded:
I worry that people will scroll endlessly. That’s why we do things like Screen Time, to try to guide people. We help people set limits, like the number of notifications you receive. We also do a lot in the area of parental controls. My core belief is that if you’re looking at your phone more than at someone’s eyes, that’s a problem.
Responding to reports that the Apple Vision Pro failed to meet sales expectations, Cook said:
This is a product to be adopted quickly, aimed at people who want to benefit from tomorrow’s technology today. These people are buying it and the ecosystem is thriving. The ultimate test for us is the ecosystem. I don’t know if you use it a lot, but I’m on it all the time. I see new apps all the time.
CABLE Cook also asked if the Vision Pro is ultimately heading towards mixed reality glasses like Meta and Snap:
Yes, it’s a progression over time in terms of what’s happening with form factors. AR is a huge deal. With Vision Pro, we’ve progressed to what is clearly the most advanced technology we’ve ever done, and I think the most advanced technology in the world in terms of electronic issues. We’ll see where this leads.
Cook answered questions about Apple’s move toward consumer tools for medical technology on the Apple Watch and AirPods, and hinted at how the company is pursuing AI to analyze biometric data in real time:
I’m not going to announce anything today. But we have ongoing research. We are fully invested here and we work on things that require years of preparation. We worked on the audition for a long time before we got it to where we felt comfortable shipping it.
Furthermore, CABLE asked if Apple would ever return to live presentations:
During Covid, we learned that audiences were mostly online. Very few people can fit into the room and we wanted more people to be involved in the announcement itself. You can do this much more productively on tape than on stage because of onstage transitions and such.
However, Cook admitted “I miss it. I miss it.” He said he was asked how long he saw himself remaining as CEO of Apple “now more than before”, explaining:
…I’ll do this until the voice in my head says, “It’s time,” and then I’ll focus on what the next chapter will look like. But it’s hard to imagine life without Apple, because my life has been with this company since 1998. It represents the vast majority of my adult life. And so I love it.
Cook also answered questions about Apple’s decision to add camera control to the iPhone 16, his work at Apple Park, the growing regulatory scrutiny the company faces, and the legacy from Apple. See CABLEIt is complete interview for more of Cook’s answers.