Apple CEO John Ternus said in a recent interview that Apple does not want to ship AI for AI’s sake. Speaking with Wired’s Steven Levy, he defended the company’s position in AI and said it is “absolutely going to leverage AI” in new products.
Apple wants AI to work inside its products
Ternus’s stated test is what AI adds to a product. He said Apple does not want people to have to identify whether AI or traditional software produced a result when the company is doing the technology right. That frames AI as part of how a product works, rather than a feature that needs to announce itself. His comments set out a product-focused position on AI without promising a particular feature or release.¹²
The comments come after Apple delayed the release of a more powerful version of Siri. That version finally launched this summer. Ternus did not tie his comments about AI to the Siri release, but the timing makes the product an immediate point of reference for Apple’s approach: the company has put a more powerful assistant on the market while its CEO argues against adding AI simply for its own sake.¹²
Ternus said, “Everyone has an opinion—I really like where we’re at,” describing his view of Apple’s AI position. The remark sits alongside his support for using AI in new products and his insistence that it should serve the product. Together, his comments define the company’s stance in terms of usefulness and integration, rather than treating the presence of AI as the goal.¹²
Ternus took over after a long career at Apple Ternus officially became Apple’s CEO at the beginning of September.
Ternus took over after a long career at Apple
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Read More →Ternus officially became Apple’s CEO at the beginning of September. At the time of the Wired interview, he had held the role for less than two months. He was 51 and had spent 25 years at Apple, making his leadership new while his experience at the company was not. Those details place his comments on AI early in his tenure as chief executive, but after decades inside the business.¹²
Ternus described creating products as “a deeply human and personal thing, something that we love to do.” Wired interviewer Steven Levy had first met him in 2015 at Apple’s Input Design Lab. That earlier meeting connects Ternus’s current comments about AI to a longstanding focus on product creation: his explanation centres on people making products and on technology serving the experience those products provide.¹²
Colleagues describe a focus on product judgment
Ternus said he had only “a handful of interactions” with Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, but added that he had always felt like a student of Jobs’s teachings. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing and a 40-year company veteran, praised Ternus’s product instincts. “John innately has a great sense for great products, and that’s what Apple is,” Joswiak said.¹²
Apple’s hardware and technology groups have been merged, with Johny Srouji, the architect of Apple’s custom silicon, at the top and reporting to Ternus. Srouji said, “John is going to be a great CEO.” The new reporting arrangement puts both organizations under one leader, while Srouji’s position connects the structure to the company’s work on its own silicon.¹²
The CEO role spans products and a large services business
Ternus leads a company with a $100 billion business in services and a $4 trillion valuation. Tim Cook, Apple’s executive chair, retains some high-level policy duties. The division of responsibilities leaves Ternus as CEO while Cook continues to handle part of Apple’s policy work, alongside the company’s product and services operations.¹²
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Read More →Ternus also revealed that the new MacBook Pro restores illumination to the Apple logo. The detail offers a concrete example of the product decisions he discussed in the interview: alongside comments about AI and software, he spoke about a visible design feature returning to a device. His remarks place product design, company structure and AI in the same account of what Apple does under his leadership.¹²
Colleagues describe a focus on product judgment Ternus said he had only “a handful of interactions” with Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder, but added that he had always felt like a student of Jobs’s teachings.
Build Skills That Serve Products
When evaluating a role or course, ask whether the work is judged by what it adds to a product, not by the technology itself. Apple's CEO frames AI as a tool that should disappear into the experience, and the company's hardware and technology groups now report to one leader. That structure rewards people who can connect technical work to a product outcome, so prioritize roles where your output is measured by user impact, not by the novelty of the method.¹²
For pay negotiations, note that Apple runs a $100 billion services business and carries a $4 trillion valuation, which signals that product leaders with a track record of judgment command premium compensation. The CEO's 25 years at the company and his focus on product instinct suggest that long tenure and deep product knowledge remain valued. If you are early in your career, seek mentors who have built products for decades, as their judgment is the skill you can learn.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
