Full Interview: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on Apple’s AI Stack, Anthropic, and the Future of Siri - TBPN Recap

Podcast: TBPN

Published: 2026-01-30

Duration: 53 minutes

Guests: Mark Gurman

Summary

Mark Gurman discusses Apple's strategic shifts in AI and hardware, highlighting its reliance on Anthropic for internal tools and potential innovations like a new Siri and foldable phones. Despite challenges in AI, Apple remains financially robust and is exploring collaborations with Google and Starlink.

What Happened

Mark Gurman outlines Apple's AI challenges, noting the company's struggle to keep pace with competitors like Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. While Apple has a strong financial performance with expectations of a $135 billion to $140 billion quarter, its AI capabilities lag behind the industry. Gurman mentions Apple's reliance on Anthropic for internal operations and product development, indicating a potential over-dependence on external AI partners.

Apple's attempts to revitalize Siri are underway, with plans to introduce new features by June 2024. Gurman reveals that Apple considered Anthropic's Claude for Siri but found it cost-prohibitive. Instead, Apple is partnering with Google for AI capabilities, using Google Cloud Platform and Google TPUs, which marks a significant shift in its AI strategy.

Gurman discusses Apple's cautious approach to acquisitions, citing the integration issues with Beats as a learning experience. Despite initial criticism, Beats turned out to be a financial success, contributing to the launch of Apple Music. This cautiousness extends to Apple's AI investments, where it avoids partnerships with OpenAI due to competitive concerns.

Apple is also exploring hardware innovations, with plans for a foldable phone positioned as a high-end product. Gurman notes that the iPhone Air and iPhone Pro have negligible pricing differences, suggesting a future merger of these product lines. Additionally, Apple's Vision Pro is described as over-engineered, and the company now focuses on smart glasses after canceling the Vision Air.

In terms of connectivity, Apple reportedly plans to integrate Starlink into the iPhone 18 Pro, expanding its technological ecosystem. The company is also expected to launch a chatbot and new AI features soon, reflecting a push towards enhancing its AI offerings.

Gurman highlights the competitive landscape in China, where Apple faces strong local competition and hasn't tailored its products specifically for the market. This presents a challenge as local competitors continue to innovate and capture market share.

Key Insights