Apple CEO Cook: Hybrid AI Strategy Is a "Competitive Weapon," Will Drive iCloud Subscription Growth with AI

According to CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated during the latest earnings conference call that Apple's hybrid AI strategy—where some AI tasks run locally on-device and complex tasks are processed via Google Cloud—is a "competitive weapon", distinct from the data center investments of tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, which often exceed $100 billion. Apple's capital expenditure in the second fiscal quarter was only $2.46 billion, lower than the market expectation of $3.44 billion. Cook also revealed that Apple plans to make AI a core selling point for iCloud+ subscription upgrades, offering paid expansion options for users with higher AI usage, but the specific pricing plan has not been finalized yet.