Analysts say next boss John Ternus should diversify tech giant away from iPhones and raise its game in AI
John Ternus takes over from Tim Cook as chief executive of Apple in September. A company insider, Ternus is moving up from his role as head of engineering to take control of the entire $4tn (£3tn) business.
Apple is a vast, successful tech company and one of the most recognised brands in the world. But it faces challenges nonetheless. Here is a look at Ternus’s in-tray.
Artificial intelligence has been a surprising weakness for Apple, at least in the eyes of some investors. It has stood on the sidelines as Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into AI development. Instead, Apple has preferred partnerships and announced in January that its AI tech will be based on Google’s Gemini, including in a revamped version of its voice assistant, Siri.
Dan Ives, an analyst at the US financial services firm Wedbush Securities, said: “We can’t say it enough but Apple cannot watch the AI era from the sidelines as this 4th industrial revolution takes hold. In essence, Apple is a toll collector on the consumer AI highway and Ternus needs to finally get the AI strategy right.”
