In a recent interview with Wired journalist Steven Levy, Apple CEO John Ternus defended the company’s current stance on artificial intelligence (AI).
Ternus, who officially became CEO at the beginning of September, acknowledged that “everyone has an opinion,” but added, “I really like where we’re at.” He emphasized that Apple is “absolutely going to leverage AI” in its new products while making clear the company’s intention: “We don’t want to ship AI for AI’s sake.”
According to Ternus, when AI is implemented correctly, users should not have to think about whether a feature was powered by AI or by more traditional software. “What matters is, did we build something that they really love.”
When Steven Levy pressed on whether AI could more dramatically reshape Apple and its ecosystem—for example with agents that might make apps unnecessary—Ternus responded, “That could make life really easy, I suppose, but the creation of products is a deeply human and personal thing, something that we love to do.”
The remarks come amid repeated criticism over the past couple of years that Apple has lagged behind in AI, particularly after it delayed a more capable version of Siri; that upgraded Siri was finally launched this summer. Ternus’s comments indicate that Apple’s strategic approach to integrating AI prioritizes user experience and product quality over using the technology for its own sake.
