Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Deepseek AI models represent “innovation that stimulates efficiency” during a call for results on Thursday while answering analysts’ questions on the manufacturer’s ambitions iPhone around AI.
“In general, I think that innovation that stimulates efficiency is a good thing. And, you know, that is what you see in this model, “said Cook, answering the question of an analyst on how the Deepseek AI models would have an impact on Apple’s margins.
Cook then noted that Apple uses a hybrid model for its AI, in which it performs single tasks locally – using its own AI models on personalized silicon chips of its device. Meanwhile, other more complicated tasks take place in the cloud thanks to partnerships with AI model suppliers.
Cook also noted that Apple has always adopted a “prudent and deliberate” approach to these types of expenditure.
Apple currently has only one AI partnership, with OpenAI, which allows Chatgpt to answer complex questions of iPhone users in a private cloud.
In particular, Openai said this week to have evidence that its AI models have been used to train Deepseek AI models through a process called distillation. If this would violate the policies of use of Openai and undermine the achievements of Deepseek.
This did not prevent Apple CEO from throwing a compliment to Deepseek.
Apple said that its OPENAI partnership was not exclusive, and it can integrate other companies in the iPhone in the future, such as Gemini from Google or Claude d’Anthropic. Cook did not go so far as to suggest that Apple would integrate the Deepseek models.
Beyond the allegations of IP flight OpenAi, several technological analysts have suggested that Deepseek AI models have been trained with much more GPU and calculation costs that the company claims. This would mean that the Deepseek AI models were not formed as effectively as some suspected. However, the Chinese AI laboratory sells access to its models to a steep discount compared to what the American Labs AI.
Investors have also pointed out questions about the success of Apple Intelligence. The gradual launch of Apple’s IA features does not seem to have created the immediate boost of iPhone sales that some predicted. Instead, sales have decreased slightly in the last quarter, compared to last year. Hoping to run the decline more favorably, Cook said that the company had seen stronger sales in the regions where Apple Intelligence had taken place that the regions where it had not done so.
Apple has faced other problems with its AI features, beyond their lack of availability. He recently interrupted his AI summaries of press articles this month after the functionality has produced misleading titles. In a case, Apple Intelligence Hallucined and Changed a title of BBC News To wrongly read that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of the murder of the CEO of Unitedhealthcare, Brian Thompson, had shot himself, which was false.
