Image Credits: Apple
Before launching Apple Intelligence to users, Tim Cook says it’s already making a difference in people’s lives, including his own. Although some reports say Apple is up to two years behind other companies in AI, Cook isn’t concerned. Apple has been working with AI, calling it Machine Learning, for over a decade, but it doesn’t aim to be the first.
“We weren’t the first with AI,” Cook told the Wall Street Journal. “But we’ve done it in a way that we believe is best for the customer.”
“We’re okay with not being first,” he added, referring to all of Apple’s projects. “It takes time to make it really great.”
“It takes a lot of trial and error. It means focusing on every little detail. Sometimes, that takes extra time,” Cook explained. “We’d rather release a product that’s well-made and helpful to people, instead of rushing to be the first.”
“If we can be both first and the best, that’s great,” Cook added. “But if we have to choose one, there’s no doubt here. If you ask 100 people, all 100 would say: It’s about being the best.”
As for Apple Intelligence, Cook mentioned he uses its summaries a lot, especially for his email inbox, which has changed his daily routine.
“If I can save a little time here and there,” Cook said, “it adds up over a day, a week, or a month. It’s made a big difference in my life. It really has.”
Cook knows he’s just one person, and he gets a lot of emails. But he believes the benefits he’s experienced will be the same for everyone, and that it will change lives.
“It will be a big change,” he said. “I think we’ll look back at Apple Intelligence and see it as a moment that shifted us to a new technology path.”
Cook doesn’t expect everyone to see immediate changes. “But it will happen, for all of us,” he said.
Apple plans to roll out Apple Intelligence in phases, across different regions, with the first major release expected on October 28, 2024.