Apple needs a new CEO? Analyst says Tim Cook not the right boss in AI age

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

There has been long-standing talk of a new Apple CEO taking the helm of the company. Many have discussed who might be next in line after Tim Cook. Now, with this talk already in place, analysts have said that Apple may, in fact, need a new CEO amid the fast-growing AI race. Apple CEO Tim Cook took the helm of the company in 2011.(Reuters)
As reported by Bloomberg, analyst Walter Piecyk from LightShed Partners has voiced that a change could be for the better. The analysts made this statement just days after Apple announced that its Chief Financial Officer would be replaced to make way for Indian-origin executive Sabih Khan.
This major shift seems to have sparked the debate all over again: does Apple need a new CEO? And where is Apple currently lacking?
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Apple Needs A Product-Focused CEO, Analyst Says
Walter Piecyk told Bloomberg in a video interview that while Tim Cook was an incredible CEO for the iPhone era for Apple, the company now needs someone who's 'product-focused.'
'This is to say nothing of Tim Cook being an incredible CEO for what they needed during this iPhone era with logistics. But now, you clearly need someone that can move forward on a lot of the product development,' Piecyk said.
Apple Needs To Step Up With AI
The analyst also didn't sugar-coat their words when it came to their interpretation of the state of AI at Apple. He said that Apple has missed product cycles, with the big one being AI.
'It's one thing to pull the string on things like Apple TV, which were predicted for years and never happened, or 'Project Titan' which was a much bigger one, which was an autonomous car.'
'Huge opportunity, I think missed, by stopping that program,' Walter Piecyk said.
'AI, in general, not only is a missed revenue opportunity, but if you're not a major player there, and you're one of these large companies like Apple, Google, or whoever, you know, that in itself can disrupt you, " he added.
He added that Apple is clearly far behind in the AI race, and that the iPhone maker 'over promised' a year ago and that's being kind to call that over promising.
The analyst also called Siri 'not a good service', and labelled it as a 'real risk to the company.'
Tim Cook May Not Go Anywhere, Anytime Soon
So, while analysts have voiced that Tim Cook needs to go in favour of a product-focused CEO, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported a contrasting view, saying that Tim Cook is not going anywhere, but an Apple shake-up certainly is in line.
He says there are currently no signs to suggest that Apple CEO Tim Cook could leave the helm, and he says that the board is not asking him to either. This is despite the fact that Cook's COO, Jeff Williams, is going to retire from his position.
The report also adds that most of Cook's direct reports are not that young, and are in their 60s. This is why Apple seems to be overhauling its leadership, with people like Sabih Khan coming into the picture.
Having said that, considering many have said that Apple needs a product-focused CEO, people like John Ternus have been thrown into the limelight again to potentially succeed as Apple's next CEO.