By Key Points
- Apple AI Investments Surge with 7 Startups Acquired in 2025
- Apple has already acquired 7 AI-focused firms this year
- AI CapEx spend is increasing, but with a controlled approach
- Siri upgrades and new AI tools expected in 2026
On its Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook declared AI as one of the “most profound technologies of our lifetime”, a bold statement underscoring a significant shift in Apple’s strategy.
According to Cook, the company is significantly growing its AI investments and embedding artificial intelligence across its entire ecosystem, from devices to core platforms.
“We are reallocating a fair number of people” to work on AI, Cook said, highlighting a company-wide realignment toward intelligent computing.
Tim Cook: Apple is ‘significantly growing’ AI spend, M&A could accelerate roadmap pic.twitter.com/6KQyHXucBU
— Michael Nguyen (@MacMike1000) July 31, 2025
Apple has also increased its capital expenditures in 2025 as a result of its AI push, though it’s continuing to lean on third-party infrastructure partners to keep costs from skyrocketing.
Importantly, Apple revealed it’s open to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to help speed up its AI development. It’s already acquired seven companies this year, none of them major, but all strategic.
Cook noted that the company is “making acquisitions at the rate of one every several weeks,” reflecting Apple’s quiet but steady move into AI innovation.
A better Siri is nice, but the real unlock is empowering 3rd‑party devs, including local GenAI via Foundation Models Framework.
Tim Cook says Apple is “putting all of our energy” behind AI. Hopefully that extends to the dev ecosystem.
Some AFM talent has already been poached…… pic.twitter.com/2JzMZoPGM7— Austin Lyons (@theaustinlyons) July 31, 2025
This mirrors other trends in tech and Web3, where firms are racing to integrate advanced tools. Similar waves of change are shaping the crypto market, like the ongoing XRP utility debate that highlights how innovation pressures legacy players to adapt or risk falling behind.
New AI Features Incoming, But Siri Needs Time
Despite trailing behind rivals like OpenAI and Google in the generative AI race, Apple has started rolling out AI features under the “Apple Intelligence” banner. Over 20 AI-powered tools are already live, including writing assistants, visual intelligence, and a photo cleanup tool.
Still, the company faces criticism. Earlier this year, Apple previewed an AI-enhanced version of Siri, but it wasn’t ready for primetime.
That led some to claim Apple was caught flat-footed as the AI boom accelerated. In response, Cook emphasized that Apple prefers a deliberate approach over rushing unfinished products to market.
$AAPL CEO TIM COOK SAID APPLE WILL “SIGNIFICANTLY GROW” ITS AI INVESTMENTS
With ~2 billion active devices — bringing AI agents natively into that ecosystem will require a level of inference & training that only $NVDA stack is positioned to handle today at scale. pic.twitter.com/FCO7B6RTro
— Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) July 31, 2025
While some new features, such as live translation and an AI workout buddy, are expected to launch later this year, the much-anticipated Siri upgrade has been delayed to 2026. “We’re making good progress,” Cook said, without offering a firm release date.
He also responded to comments made by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, who predicted AI glasses would soon replace smartphones as the dominant interface.
Cook disagreed, stating, “It’s difficult to see a world where iPhones aren’t living in it.” He did hint at possible new devices but suggested they’d be additions, not replacements.
🚨Apple CEO Tim Cook said they are open to acquisitions to accelerate the company’s AI roadmap
Apple is also significantly growing its AI investments & reallocating “a fair number of people” to focus on AI features https://t.co/i7ecakTbNe.
— Vikas SN (@tsuvik) August 1, 2025
Meanwhile, AI adoption is also transforming adjacent sectors like crypto, with fresh use cases emerging in stablecoins, altcoin performance, and DeFi infrastructure. These developments show how AI and smart algorithms are becoming foundational across industries.
Apple’s Steady AI Play Could Pay Off
Apple’s decision to scale its AI operations isn’t just a defensive move. The company sees AI as a key part of its future product ecosystem. Whether it’s smarter devices, more intuitive interfaces, or personalized services, Apple wants AI to be baked in, not bolted on.
That vision seems to be resonating with investors. Apple’s better-than-expected iPhone sales and a strong revenue report for Q3 2025 helped drive a stock boost in after-hours trading.
Still, the road ahead remains competitive. Apple must balance innovation with its core promise of privacy and seamless usability.
With new AI tools already rolling out and more in the pipeline, the next few quarters will be critical in showing how serious Apple is about catching up in the AI race, and possibly leading it in its way.
As Web3 matures, other tech leaders are also making strategic bets. From Ethereum’s $10B reserve surge to the ongoing crypto ETF vs. altcoin regulation debate, the market is watching how AI, blockchain, and traditional tech will converge. Apple’s next move may signal how deep this transformation will go.
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