New Apple CEO John Ternus explained in a recent interview how he and Apple plan to approach AI. And ahead of what is rumored to be a big AI release with iOS 27, he said exactly what I was hoping to hear.
John Ternus explains how Apple thinks about AI
In April, John Ternus was interviewed alongside Greg Joswiak by Mark Spoonauer at Tom’s Guide.
The interview took place just before Apple announced that Ternus would be the company’s next CEO.
The timing and scope of the interview make it a great way to gauge how Ternus is thinking about various issues as he approaches his role as CEO.
For example, Ternus talked about Apple Vision Pro, the company’s biggest failures, and much more.
He also gave the following explanation of his (and Apple’s) approach to AI:
We never think about shipping technology. We always think about the question: “How can we leverage technology to deliver incredible products, features, and experiences to our users?” » This is how we think about AI.
Apple has had its share of struggles when it comes to AI. But this perspective from Ternus helps ease some of my concerns about major AI releases like iOS 27 that are approaching.
Avoiding the “all AI” pitfall in iOS 27 and beyond
AI is not going away. And as Apple executives said in this interview, we are in the “early stages” of the technology.
Apple Intelligence first launched in 2024 to some success, but also widespread criticism that came to a head when Apple delayed promised Siri upgrades.
Since then, iOS 26 was a modest update for AI improvements, but iOS 27 is the point where Apple is expected to significantly up its AI game.
The new, revised Siri will be at the center of this AI “overhaul”, but rumors indicate that many more AI upgrades are coming as well.
One of my biggest concerns about Apple and this topic is that the company is going to start injecting AI into everything, just to shake up its lackluster reputation for AI.
The Apple Intelligence rollout in 2024 looked a little like this. And since then, Siri delays have increased pressure on Apple to up its AI game.
But if Apple truly continues to focus on delivering “incredible products, features, and experiences,” it should be able to avoid some of the pitfalls that its competitors fall victim to.
Many tech companies release new technologies before questioning whether they actually improve the user experience. I don’t want Apple to fall into this trap.
Ideally, as Joswiak said in the interview, users don’t even need to know that a feature is powered by AI. No one outside of Wall Street cares how many features are labeled “AI.” Users just care about great products.
I hope that with the help of Gemini technology, Apple will have a bright future ahead in AI. And John Ternus’s comments make me optimistic that he won’t fall into the “all about AI” trap.
What do you think of Apple’s AI perspective, as described by John Ternus? Let us know in the comments.
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