BrianKrebs

Interesting take from CNN. Apple is far from perfect, but I for one am cheering them on for "falling behind" the other tech behemoths.

"The changes come as critics say Apple, once a tech leader, is behind in the next big wave: artificial intelligence."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/06/tech/apple-tim-cook-leadership-changes

What the heck is going on at Apple?

Apple for decades has been known for a consistent string of design-forward, tech-defining consumer products that have shaped how people use technology.

CNN
Dec 8 at 4:06pmWeb
Show threadEvan LightDec 8

@briankrebs Because they haven't gone as far as "evil"? The keyword here would be "yet"?

Or something else? Can you elaborate?

Show threadChucklesDec 8
@briankrebs My theory is that Apple has decided to remain focused on consumer electronics instead of becoming a full-on military contractor like Meta, Microsoft and Alphabet.
Show threadK0binDec 8

@briankrebs Apple not forcing LLM crap into everything makes me almost wanna buy their products.

Too bad there's still the anti competitive bullshit like the Core Technology Commission that kills any interest.

Show thread7leaguebootdiskđ“…˝Dec 8
@k0bin @briankrebs and they do advertising on their platform, which is always going to pull them in bad directions.
Show threadFlohEinsteinDec 8
@briankrebs it's the Apple way. They never ride the wave. They make promises while every other company is spending money on the peak of inflated expectations, then Apple buys the knowledge and manpower in the trough of disillusionment, making money on the slope. #gartner
Show threadamlorDec 8
@FlohEinstein @briankrebs It’s “money on the slop” nowadays
Show threadAlison MeeksDec 8
@briankrebs If they didn't adapt it at all I'd be delighted. At the very least let it be so it's secure AF.
Shame I looked forward to what it could do all my tech life only to have corrupt greedy bastards take it over to compromise security and steal content.
Show threadWendroid 🇺🇦Dec 8
@briankrebs Move slow, understand things?
Show threadOsma A 🇫🇮🇺🇦Dec 8

What Apple is well known for is that they're never the first to launch anything, often taking years before entering a particular market. If anything, they've recently shown too much eagerness to jump into markets, ref Vision Pro.

That said, the executive churn definitely is significant.
@briankrebs

Show threadOkunaDec 8
@briankrebs with chatbots you basically gain nothing, and for Apple the question is always how can we sell more iPhones or Macbooks. And with the Macbooks it seems to work because they have really good ones for running local LLMs. But in the end what they need and I think what they are targeting, is all the Agentic AI where they can integrate mail, calendar and all the other things with the iCloud, privacy-friendly. The real daily needs users have to optimize and become more efficient.
I think they are not really behind but they have to be aware or they have to be careful that they may be behind if they don't deliver something next year.
Show threadBill WoodcockDec 8
@briankrebs

Yes, please, Apple, please continue to stand between us and the onslaught of AI idiocy.
Show threadBill WoodcockDec 9
@briankrebs

See, here for example, is Apple AI actually being helpful. If someone is casting ableist slurs, my life is better for not having to read them, and not knowing who it was. Also, it's funny enough to add a little levity to what would otherwise have been a sour note in the day.
Show threadThe DubsterDec 8
@briankrebs Totally agree.
Show threadT Alex BeamishDec 8

@briankrebs It's almost as if Apple's decided not to get pulled into The Latest Hi Tech Pyramid Scheme, saying, No, You Folks Go First. And waiting patiently for the crash of the wave.

I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Show threadWydamnDec 8

@briankrebs as a certified hater, one thing i will give apple is their insistence on quality. Even preferring to leave out quality of life features rather than implement a half baked one.

And if there's a term for the present state of GenAI, it is "half-baked"

Show threadRihards OlupsDec 8
@wydamn @briankrebs Except maps. For some reason, maps.
Where they still refuse to fully use OSM data even where it is waaaaay better than what they have currently :)
Show threadskryDec 8

@richlv @wydamn @briankrebs Apple needs to overhaul contacts, calendar, mail, numbers, calculator, quicktime, accounts, itunes and podcasts. All that needs serious polishing and sensible connections. Fix those and we’ll talk about how smart the system needs to be.

But macOS already has improved search by orders of magnitude with image recognition and OCR that was quietly added and not affected by the Siri/AI option. So that’s great.

Show threadjonathankoren™Dec 8
@briankrebs if only they fell behind VR as well.
Show threadyour auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦Dec 8

am almost certain that's because one of Jobs’ legacies was their HR department: Apple has never been too keen into outsourcing mission critical jobs. Jobs was a control freak and understood that too much outsourcing would dilute his authority.

most USA “AI” is nothing but Amazon’s mechanical turk at a massive scale, being fed mostly by minimum wage graduates overseas, aka the globalized precariat.

so ironically, Apple’s authoritarianism is a deterrent to developing AI.

@briankrebs

Show threadZimmieDec 8

@blogdiva @briankrebs Yeah, the joke is a joke for a reason:

Al - An Indian
API - A person in India
LLM - Low-cost Labour in Mumbai
AGI - A Genius Indian
GPT - Gujarati Professional Typist

Show threadCavyherdDec 8

@briankrebs

Sadly, CNN is now datawalled, so I'm not clicking through:

Show threadFreediverXDec 8

@cavyherd @briankrebs

https://archive.is/TWhSA

Show threadCavyherdDec 8

@freediverx @briankrebs

Oh, thank you!

Show threadFreediverXDec 8
@briankrebs
CNN is a joke. There are so many valid reasons to criticize Apple right now; not going all-in on AI ain’t one of them.
Show threadrainynight65Dec 8
@briankrebs im quite glad that Apple isn't shoving AI into my face at every step and turn. Unlike Microsoft and Google, whose zeal in pushing AI borders on desperation.
Show thread👊🇺🇸🔥Dec 8
@briankrebs Apple hasn't been at the forefront of the industry much, if at all. MP3 players existed before the iPod. Touchscreen smartphones existed before the iPhone. The primary differences with the iPhone are that they made the software inflexible and one-size-fits-all, and spent billions of dollars more on marketing than anyone else.
Show threadisaiahDec 9

@briankrebs right now pundits can only talk about tech as it relates to AI.

Apple has fallen behind in everything.

i will always root for them, but they’re at a standstill.