Apple Eyes AI Acquisitions, Says Tim Cook
▼ Summary
– Apple CEO Tim Cook stated the company remains open to acquisitions and partnerships to advance its AI initiatives.
– Cook confirmed the AI-powered Siri update is on track for a 2026 release during the Q4 2025 earnings call.
– Apple is pursuing a three-pronged AI strategy combining in-house models, third-party partnerships, and potential acquisitions.
– The company is expanding its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure, with server manufacturing recently starting in Houston.
– Cook indicated Apple Intelligence is becoming a factor in consumer smartphone purchasing decisions and expects its influence to grow.
Apple is actively exploring new acquisitions and strategic partnerships to accelerate its progress in artificial intelligence, according to CEO Tim Cook. During the company’s recent fourth-quarter earnings call for 2025, Cook emphasized that Apple remains open to mergers and acquisitions that could help advance their technology roadmap. The executive also confirmed that development of the next-generation, AI-enhanced Siri remains on schedule for a 2024 launch.
“We’re making solid headway with the project and, as previously communicated, anticipate its release next year,” Cook stated in his opening comments.
When questioned about Apple’s comprehensive strategy for developing personalized AI systems, Cook reaffirmed the company’s three-part approach. This methodology combines proprietary foundation models created in-house, collaborations with external large language model specialists, and selective acquisitions of promising technology firms. Cook explained that Apple maintains constant market surveillance for potential merger opportunities and will pursue them when they align with strategic objectives.
In a separate discussion with CNBC preceding the earnings announcement, Cook revealed that Apple plans to establish additional AI partnerships similar to its existing arrangement with OpenAI, which integrates ChatGPT functionality into Siri and Apple Intelligence. “We plan to expand our integration efforts with additional partners moving forward,” Cook told the network.
During the earnings presentation, Cook detailed Apple’s comprehensive AI infrastructure, which encompasses foundation models deployed directly on devices alongside their specialized Private Cloud Compute system. This cloud-based intelligence platform is engineered specifically for secure, private AI processing tasks. Cook noted that Apple already utilizes this Private Cloud Compute technology for numerous Siri requests and continues to develop this infrastructure.
“The manufacturing facility producing servers for Apple Intelligence recently commenced operations in Houston,” Cook shared. “We’ve established a production ramp-up plan for deployment across our data centers, and the system demonstrates considerable robustness.”
Cook also addressed the growing significance of AI capabilities in consumer purchasing decisions, particularly regarding smartphone selection. “Apple Intelligence currently represents a consideration for buyers, and we’re quite optimistic about its increasing influence on future purchasing behavior,” he remarked. The company anticipates that advanced AI features will become progressively more important to consumers evaluating their next mobile device.
(Source: TechCrunch)
