Episode 2467: Will AI kill Apple?

Will AI kill Apple? That’s the (absurd) question with which Keith Teare and I begin our THAT WAS THE WEEK tech summary. We conclude that their failure to develop an in-house LLM or introduce a timely intelligence application in mobile won’t , of course, destroy Apple. But as Keith and I discuss, the redundancy of its Siri architecture is now forcing Apple to get serious about AI. So should that mean totally scraping Siri? Or acquiring Anthropic or Perplexity? Or does Tim Cook need to be replaced by a more AI friendly CEO ? Sam Altman, perhaps?Here’s our KEEN ON AMERICA takeaways for this week’s conversation with Keith:* Apple's AI Struggles: Apple is facing criticism for its AI implementation, particularly for announcing features at their developer conference that weren't delivered. However, Keith argues this failure may not matter much since consumers can access better AI tools through third-party apps on their iPhones.* The Future of Voice Interfaces: Both hosts suggest that voice and listening capabilities represent a major untapped opportunity in tech. Keith recommends using OpenAI's conversational mode with AirPods for an impressive experience, indicating that voice interfaces could become a primary way we interact with AI.* Perplexity vs. Anthropic Acquisition: There's discussion about whether Apple should acquire an AI company, with Keith suggesting Perplexity (valued at approximately $9-15 billion) would be a better fit than Anthropic because it combines web search with AI capabilities.* Sam Altman and OpenAI Criticism: Keith criticizes Sam Altman for claiming DeepSeek is "state-controlled," suggesting this is a competitive tactic rather than reality. This is notable as Keith has typically been positive about OpenAI.* Future of Coding and App Development: The conversation touches on Cursor (an AI code editor valued at $10 billion despite being less than a year old) and how AI is transforming app development. Keith suggests that in the future, startups may not need to hire engineers if founders learn to use AI coding tools, potentially revolutionizing the startup ecosystem.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe