Tim Cook breaks silence on Apple’s AI plans, hints at more collaborations ahead

Apple CEO Tim Cook has once again addressed the company’s slow but steady move into artificial intelligence, saying the tech giant plans to “integrate with more people over time.” The comment came during an interview with CNBC following Apple’s Q4 earnings call, where Cook spoke about the company’s ongoing work in AI.

When Apple first announced its partnership with OpenAI earlier this year, it was seen as a major step into generative AI. The collaboration brought ChatGPT to Siri and Apple’s Writing Tools, making it easier for users to access smarter suggestions and summaries on their devices. But since then, Apple has been quiet about expanding those efforts.

Many expected Apple to also team up with Google for its Gemini AI, especially after senior Apple executive Craig Federighi hinted at the possibility earlier. However, no such partnership has been confirmed yet. Behind the scenes, Apple is said to be working on support for something called the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a system developed by AI startup Anthropic that allows different AI models to work together across devices and apps. This could eventually make it easier for users to choose which AI assistant or model they want to use on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Despite these plans, Apple has not shared concrete details or timelines for new partnerships or features. The company continues to highlight its existing machine learning features like crash detection, real-time translation on AirPods, and health tracking on Apple Watch. However, those tools are very different from the large language model-based assistants that competitors like Google and Microsoft are offering.