Apple's AI Bet Could Define Tim Cook's Legacy

According to Axios, Tim Cook's legacy at Apple may ultimately hinge on the company's decision to build part of its AI strategy around other companies' models, including Google, rather than developing and operating a frontier-model business of its own. Apple has already faced delays in its Apple Intelligence rollout, with a revamped Siri only now arriving with iOS 27, and it had to rely on Google models to get that far. The article says Cook has more than quadrupled Apple's annual revenue and helped lift its market capitalization to more than $4 trillion, while also building a services business around Apple TV+, Apple News and iCloud. It also notes that Apple's car project was narrowed and then canceled, and that Vision Pro has not found a mass market. Axios said the long-term judgment on Cook may depend on whether AI models become commoditized or whether companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic or another AI player turn their work into a successful new hardware platform.