Tim Cook says AI is now Apple's top priority, "bigger than the internet"

Big quote: In a rare all-hands meeting at Apple's Cupertino headquarters, CEO Tim Cook made it clear to thousands of employees that AI now stands at the forefront of the company's ambitions. Addressing a packed auditorium following a stronger-than-expected earnings report, Cook called the AI transformation "as big or bigger" than the internet, the smartphone, cloud computing, and apps. "Apple must do this. Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab," Cook told staff, vowing, "We will make the investment to do it."

Tim Cook's remarks come as Apple finds itself trailing some of its rivals in the AI race. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have funneled hundreds of millions into AI tools and infrastructure, while Apple's own Apple Intelligence suite was (soft) launched later than similar offerings from competitors.

Even so, Cook noted that Apple's history shows it rarely arrives first, yet ...