Apple’s Reign Under Tim Cook Was Legendary, but His AI Legacy Is a Work in Progress

Tim Cook kept AppleAAPL

in full bloom, yet his legacy may hinge on the seeds he didn’t plant in AI. The company confirmed he will step down as CEO on Sept. 1 and move to executive chairman, with hardware chief John Ternus taking over. His run delivered a 699% profit jump and built a base of 2.5B active devices, but AI still stands out as the missing piece.

• Under Cook, Apple’s valuation grew roughly tenfold, iPhone prices rose by about $350 since 2011, and its retail footprint expanded to 540 stores worldwide.
• Still, its AI push leans on partners like Google’sGOOGL
  Gemini, while rivals like MicrosoftMSFT
  , MetaMETA
  , and AmazonAMZN
  pour billions into their own AI.

Facing the AI spotlight: Wedbush’s Dan Ives warned the leadership shift raises more questions than answers, adding pressure on Apple to deliver on AI at WWDC. Ternus, who has spent 25 years on the hardware side, signaled the company still sees AI flowing through tightly integrated devices rather than just software. With the company reporting fiscal second-quarter earnings on Apr. 30, investors could get an early look at how that strategy is playing out.