\n<\/p>\n
Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled to investors the company is still open to acquisitions and partnerships to move things forward on the AI front. <\/p>\n
The comments were made this week during the company\u2019s Q4 2025 earnings call. The exec also offered a brief update about Apple\u2019s next-generation, AI-powered Siri, saying the service was still on track to launch in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making good progress on it, and as we\u2019ve shared, we expect to release it next year,\u201d Cook said during his opening remarks. <\/p>\n
One analyst on the call also asked Cook if Apple was still pursuing a three-pronged approach when it came to the development of its personalized AI \u2014 meaning a combination of in-house Apple foundation models, partnerships with third-party LLM providers, and acquisitions. <\/p>\n
Cook responded that Apple was still open to the latter, noting the company continually surveils the market on M&A and is \u201copen to pursuing M&A if we think that it will advance our roadmap.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a pre-earnings interview with CNBC<\/a>, Cook noted that Apple was preparing to announce more AI partnerships like the one it has with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence.<\/p>\n \u201cOur intention is to integrate with more people over time,\u201d Cook told the outlet.<\/p>\n On the earnings call, Cook also talked about how Apple creates foundation models, ships them on devices, and uses them in Private Cloud Compute<\/a>, its cloud intelligence system designed specifically for private AI processing.<\/p>\n Cook shared later in the call that Apple is already using its Private Cloud Compute technology for a number of Siri queries and is continuing to build out that infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, the manufacturing plant that makes the servers used for Apple Intelligence just started manufacturing in Houston a few weeks ago, and we\u2019ve got a ramp planned there for use in our data centers. And, you know, it\u2019s robust,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Cook additionally suggested that AI was a factor in consumers\u2019 decision-making process when it comes to selecting a new smartphone. <\/p>\n \u201cI would say that Apple Intelligence is a factor, and we\u2019re very bullish on it becoming a greater factor,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n