Opinion: Tim Cook’s three-word answer about Apple’s plans for AI was incredibly revealing

There wasn't a single word about it mentioned at WWDC, Apple's annual developer conference. The same is true of the iPhone keynote in September. It wasn't until the launch of the M3 series of MacBook Pros that the company made mention of it in any substantive way. — Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP

On Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook was asked about the company's plans for artificial intelligence (AI). Of course, Apple's employees almost never reveal anything about their plans about much of anything until they make an announcement. The closest we've ever gotten is when Cook made his famous "I think the wrist is interesting" a few years before the company launched the Apple Watch.

Ironically, and what most people forget, is that Cook's statement came in response to a question about whether Google Glass – or other headset computers – were likely to catch on. "I think from a mainstream point of view [glasses as wearable computing devices] are difficult to see," Cook said. "I think the wrist is interesting. The wrist is natural." Now, of course, the Vision Pro – a virtual reality headset with exceptional passthrough video – is Apple's bet on Spatial Computing.