Tim Cook says Apple is open to M&A on the AI front

During a recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook reassured investors that the company remains open to mergers and acquisitions as it seeks to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities. His remarks came during the Q4 2025 earnings discussion, where he also provided insights on the highly anticipated AI-driven Siri, confirming that its launch is still targeted for 2026. "We’re making good progress on it, and as we’ve shared, we expect to release it next year," Cook stated, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to innovation in AI technology. An analyst inquired about Apple's strategy regarding its personalized AI development, specifically whether the company is still following a three-pronged approach. This includes building in-house foundation models, collaborating with third-party large language model (LLM) providers, and pursuing acquisitions. Cook affirmed Apple's willingness to explore M&A opportunities, emphasizing that the company continuously monitors the market for potential advancements in its roadmap. In a pre-earnings conversation with CNBC, Cook hinted at upcoming AI partnerships, similar to the existing collaboration with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri and Apple Intelligence. "Our intention is to integrate with more people over time," he remarked, showcasing Apple's proactive approach to expanding its AI ecosystem. On the earnings call, Cook elaborated on Apple’s approach to creating foundation models and deploying them through its Private Cloud Compute system, which is tailored for private AI processing. He noted that this technology is already being utilized for several Siri queries and that the infrastructure is expanding. "In fact, the manufacturing plant that makes the servers used for Apple Intelligence just started manufacturing in Houston a few weeks ago, and we’ve got a ramp planned there for use in our data centers. And, you know, it’s robust," he said. Additionally, Cook indicated that AI plays a significant role in consumers' decisions when selecting new smartphones. "I would say that Apple Intelligence is a factor, and we’re very bullish on it becoming a greater factor," he concluded, highlighting the importance of AI in shaping future consumer choices.