Cupertino, California – During Apple’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook announced that the company is in the process of developing new generative AI software features that will be available to customers later this year. Cook’s announcement aligns with recent reporting suggesting that iOS 18 may be the biggest update in the operating system’s history.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to invest in these and other technologies that will shape the future. That includes artificial intelligence, where we continue to spend a tremendous amount of time and effort, and we’re excited to share the details of our ongoing work in that space later this year,” Cook stated in his prepared remarks.
Analysts sought more details from Cook but he remained vague, stating, “Our M.O., if you will, has always been to do work and then talk about work, and not to get out in front of ourselves. And so we’re going to hold that to this as well. But we have got some things that we’re incredibly excited about, that we’ll be talking about later this year.”
The introduction of AI software features into smartphones has become a major selling point for competitors such as Google and Samsung in recent months. It is unusual for Apple to disclose its upcoming plans, indicating the company’s ambitious intentions to integrate AI into its software platforms – including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS – later this year.
Cook closed the call with a hint of what’s to come, stating, “Let me just say that I think there’s a huge opportunity for Apple with generative AI and with AI, without getting into many more details or getting out ahead of myself.”