Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, has defended the company’s approach to artificial intelligence, saying Apple does not want to introduce AI features simply to follow industry trends. Instead, the company plans to integrate AI where it can make products more useful, intuitive and valuable for customers. His comments offer an early indication of how Apple intends to position itself in an increasingly competitive AI market.
In an interview with WIRED journalist Steven Levy, published on October 30, 2026, Ternus said Apple would absolutely use AI in its products but argued that customers should not have to think about whether a feature is powered by artificial intelligence or traditional software. The remarks come as Apple faces questions about its progress in AI, particularly following delays to its more advanced Siri capabilities and growing competition from companies such as Google, OpenAI and Microsoft.
Key Takeaways
- Apple CEO John Ternus says the company does not want to ship AI simply for the sake of adding AI features.
- Apple plans to use AI when it improves the customer experience and makes products more useful.
- Ternus made the comments in an interview with WIRED journalist Steven Levy.
- He defended Apple’s AI position amid criticism that the company has fallen behind competitors.
- Ternus also questioned the idea that AI agents will make traditional apps and product experiences unnecessary.
- Privacy, cybersecurity and protecting user information remain important considerations in Apple’s AI strategy.
John Ternus Explains Apple’s AI Philosophy
Ternus’s central message is that artificial intelligence should improve a product rather than become the product’s main selling point.
He said Apple is committed to using AI, but the technology should operate naturally within the company’s devices and software. Customers should focus on what a product helps them accomplish instead of worrying about the technology powering individual features.
The approach reflects Apple’s traditional emphasis on user experience, hardware-software integration and product design.
For example, AI could help users organise information, edit photographs, interact with Siri or complete tasks across applications. If these features work reliably, customers may benefit without needing to understand the underlying models.
Ternus believes that this outcome is more important than releasing AI features simply to demonstrate that Apple is participating in the latest technology trend.
Apple Faces Questions About Its Position in the AI Race
Apple has faced criticism over its AI progress, particularly after announcing a more capable version of Siri and subsequently delaying several of its promised capabilities.
Meanwhile, competitors have moved quickly to introduce generative AI assistants, coding tools, AI-powered search and autonomous agents.
Companies including Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and Anthropic have invested heavily in developing advanced AI models and integrating them into consumer and enterprise products.
This has created pressure on Apple to demonstrate that its approach can compete with services that increasingly use AI as a central part of their products.
During the interview, Ternus acknowledged that people have different opinions about Apple’s position but said he likes where the company stands.
His comments suggest that Apple does not intend to measure its progress solely by the number of AI products or features it announces.
Apple Wants AI to Work Naturally Across Its Products
Apple’s strategy centres on integrating AI into existing devices and software rather than necessarily creating a separate experience for every AI capability.
This approach could allow AI to become part of everyday activities across the company’s ecosystem.
| Product area | Potential role of AI |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Personal assistance, image understanding and contextual features |
| Mac | Productivity, content creation and workflow assistance |
| Siri | Understanding requests and completing tasks |
| Photos | Image editing, organisation and search |
| Apple applications | Context-aware features and task automation |
| Operating systems | Intelligent assistance integrated into everyday interactions |
The objective is to make AI useful without forcing customers to change how they interact with their devices.
However, delivering this experience requires reliable models, strong integration and sufficient processing capabilities. Apple must also balance cloud-based AI services with its privacy and security requirements.
Ternus Questions Whether AI Agents Will Replace Apps
Another important part of the interview concerned the future of AI agents.
AI agents are systems that can understand goals and perform multiple actions with limited step-by-step instructions. Instead of opening several applications to complete a task, users could potentially ask an agent to organise information, make arrangements or coordinate activities across services.
Some technology leaders believe this could fundamentally change how people use computers and smartphones, potentially reducing the importance of traditional applications.
Ternus acknowledged that AI agents could make certain activities easier. However, he pushed back against the idea that AI would eliminate the importance of human-designed products.
He argued that creating products is a deeply human and personal activity that Apple values.
This reflects a different perspective from the vision in which AI agents become the primary interface between users and digital services. Apple appears interested in using agents to improve existing experiences while maintaining the importance of its hardware, applications and product ecosystem.
Privacy and Cybersecurity Remain Central to Apple’s Approach
Ternus also addressed concerns about the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.
When asked about AI regulation, he did not take a clear position on specific regulatory proposals. Instead, he said Apple considers the issue from a cybersecurity perspective.
He emphasised that the company’s focus is on making products secure, protecting users’ information and ensuring that powerful models do not compromise customer safety.
Privacy has long been an important part of Apple’s public positioning. As AI systems gain access to personal information, messages, photographs and other contextual data, protecting that information becomes increasingly important.
The company therefore faces the challenge of making AI assistants more capable while maintaining safeguards around how personal data is processed and used.
What Ternus’s Leadership Could Mean for Apple’s AI Strategy
Ternus became Apple’s CEO on September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, who moved into the role of executive chairman.
Having spent approximately 25 years at Apple, Ternus has extensive experience in hardware engineering and product development. His early public comments suggest that product quality and customer experience will remain central to the company’s direction.
He also said Cook remains available to help when needed, particularly given the relationships the former CEO developed during his leadership.
For Apple’s AI strategy, this could mean a continued focus on integrating intelligent capabilities into devices and services rather than positioning the company primarily as an AI model developer.
The approach does not mean Apple will avoid advanced AI. Instead, it suggests that the company wants to compete through the usefulness, reliability and integration of AI-powered features.
The Bigger Picture
The AI industry is increasingly divided between companies that compete through powerful models and those that focus on embedding AI into existing products and services. Apple’s comments indicate that it wants to emphasise the second approach, making AI an underlying capability rather than the centre of every customer interaction.
However, this strategy will ultimately be judged by execution. Customers may not care whether a feature uses AI or traditional software, but they will notice if Siri misunderstands requests, automation fails or intelligent features do not work as expected. Apple’s challenge is to make its approach both technically competitive and consistent with its product philosophy.
Looking Ahead
Apple is expected to continue integrating AI into its operating systems, devices and applications as the technology develops. The company’s ability to improve Siri and deliver reliable AI-powered experiences will be particularly important in determining whether Ternus’s product-focused approach gains acceptance among customers.
The broader question is whether AI will become an invisible layer across everyday technology or develop into a new way of interacting with computers through autonomous agents. Ternus has made clear that Apple intends to preserve the importance of human-centred product design while adopting AI where it delivers practical value.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What did Apple’s CEO say about artificial intelligence?
John Ternus said Apple does not want to ship AI simply for the sake of adding AI features. He wants the technology to make products more useful and improve the customer experience.
2. Who is Apple’s current CEO?
John Ternus became Apple’s CEO on September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook, who became executive chairman.
3. Does Apple plan to use AI in its products?
Yes. Ternus said Apple is absolutely going to use AI, but the company wants to integrate it where it provides practical benefits to customers.
4. Does Apple believe AI agents will replace applications?
Ternus acknowledged that AI agents could simplify digital tasks but questioned whether they would eliminate the importance of traditional products and applications.
5. Why has Apple faced criticism over AI?
Apple has faced criticism because of delays to more advanced Siri capabilities and the rapid development of competing AI assistants and services.
6. What is Apple’s main priority when developing AI products?
According to Ternus, Apple prioritises useful products, security, customer privacy and protecting personal information.
7. Where did John Ternus make these comments?
He discussed Apple’s AI strategy in an interview with WIRED journalist Steven Levy, published on October 30, 2026.
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