Apple CEO John Ternus Defends the Company's AI Approach
In a recent interview with Wired's Steven Levy, Apple CEO John Ternus defended the company's standing in the AI landscape β and pushed back on the notion that Apple is lagging behind.
Addressing the 'Behind on AI' Narrative
Over the past couple of years, Apple has often been described as falling behind on AI, particularly as it delayed the release of a more powerful version of Siri. That upgraded Siri finally launched this summer, a release that drew mixed reactions. Ternus, a longtime Apple executive who officially became CEO at the beginning of September 2026, acknowledged that "everyone has an opinion" β but insisted, "I really like where we're at."
'Not AI for AI's Sake'
Ternus said Apple is "absolutely going to leverage AI" in its new products, but he was clear about the company's guiding principle:
"We don't want to ship AI for AI's sake. When we're doing it right, people won't have to think about whether it was AI that made this happen or more traditional software. What matters is, did we build something that they really love?"
The statement reflects Apple's long-standing emphasis on seamless, user-focused experiences over feature-driven marketing β a philosophy it appears to be carrying into the AI era.
The Human Side of Product Creation
When Levy pressed Ternus on whether AI might reshape Apple and its ecosystem more dramatically β with agents potentially rendering apps unnecessary β Ternus offered a thoughtful response:
"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."
What It Means
As AI agents and generative tools continue to mature in 2026, Apple's position suggests a deliberate strategy: integrate AI quietly and meaningfully rather than chase industry hype. Whether that approach resonates with users β and investors β will likely be tested as the company rolls out its next generation of AI-powered products under Ternus's leadership.
via TechCrunch AI