Apple executives have detailed the company’s strategic approach to artificial intelligence development, revealing years of behind-the-scenes preparation for its Apple Intelligence initiative. In interviews with WIRED’s Steven Levy, senior executives including Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea explained that Apple has been incorporating AI technologies into its products since 2015. The company emphasizes that rather than rushing to compete with rivals like Google and Microsoft in generative AI, it focused on developing privacy-protecting infrastructure and practical consumer applications. Apple’s strategic hire of Giannandrea from Google in 2018 marked a significant step in strengthening its AI capabilities.
The company’s AI strategy differs from competitors by prioritizing system-level integration over standalone products, with a focus on enhancing everyday user experiences rather than pursuing artificial general intelligence. Senior Vice President Craig Federighi highlighted Apple’s innovative approach to privacy protection in cloud processing, while acknowledging that the first public iteration of Apple Intelligence has received mixed reviews from critics who note similarities to existing competitor offerings.