---
title: "John Ternus: Apple doesn't want to \"ship AI for AI's sake\""
description: "Apple's new CEO says the company isn't behind on AI, and that the goal is for people not to wonder whether AI or ordinary software did the job, only whether they love the product."
url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/john-ternus-apple-no-ai-for-ai-sake
language: en # English
type: news
published: 2026-10-31T21:41:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-02T07:55:21.000Z
author: "Osamah Ismail"
author_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/author/1
section: "AI"
tags: ["Apple","John Ternus","AI","Siri"]
sources: ["TechCrunch","Wired"]
image: https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/apple-logo-og-e918e3fa.jpg
translations:
  ku: https://kurddevelopers.com/news/john-ternus-apple-no-ai-for-ai-sake
  ar: https://kurddevelopers.com/ar/news/john-ternus-apple-no-ai-for-ai-sake
publisher: Kurd Developers
publisher_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/
---

# John Ternus: Apple doesn't want to "ship AI for AI's sake"

> Apple's new CEO says the company isn't behind on AI, and that the goal is for people not to wonder whether AI or ordinary software did the job, only whether they love the product.

![Image: Apple](https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/apple-logo-og-e918e3fa.jpg)

**John Ternus**, Apple's new CEO, used an interview with **Steven Levy** of **Wired** to answer, for the first time on the record, the criticism that Apple has fallen behind in **AI**.

## The problem: is Apple behind?
For a long time, analysts and users said Apple trailed **OpenAI** and **Google**:
- The more powerful version of **Siri** was delayed several times and only launched in **summer 2026**.
- In June, Apple revealed that the new Siri is built on **Google Gemini**, relying on another company for its AI.
- Apple paid **$250 million** this year to settle a lawsuit over AI features it advertised but didn't deliver on time.

Against that backdrop, Ternus took over from **Tim Cook** at the beginning of **September**.

## What Ternus said
He acknowledged that "everyone has an opinion," but insisted: "I really like where we're at."

He said Apple is "absolutely going to leverage AI" in new products, but differently:

"We don't want to ship AI for AI's sake. When we're doing it right, people won't have to think about whether it was AI that made this happen or more traditional software. What matters is, did we build something that they really love?"

## Apple's answer: invisible AI
Apple's approach is for AI not to be a **marketing label** but part of the experience inside devices and apps. Examples from **iOS 27**:
- AI reply suggestions in **Messages**.
- **Reframe** and **Extend** photo editing in Photos.
- A dedicated **Siri** app that keeps past conversations.

## On AI agents
Asked whether AI **agents** that act on your behalf could make apps unnecessary, Ternus said:

"That could make life really easy, I suppose, but the creation of products is a deeply human and personal thing, something that we love to do."

## What it means for you
If you use an iPhone, don't expect Apple to loudly announce a new AI feature every week. The aim is features that quietly make daily tasks easier. The big question remains whether this slower approach can keep Apple competitive while OpenAI and Google ship new models every month.

## About Ternus
- A longtime Apple executive.
- Named Cook's successor in **April 2026**; Cook hosted his last WWDC in June.

**Sources:** TechCrunch, Wired

---

Published by [Kurd Developers](https://kurddevelopers.com/) on 2026-10-31. Cite as: “John Ternus: Apple doesn't want to "ship AI for AI's sake"”, Kurd Developers, https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/john-ternus-apple-no-ai-for-ai-sake