Apple’s AI reset attempt

TL;DR: Apple’s weeklong Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on Monday. It’s a moment of change for the tech giant, which is working to overcome a complicated AI narrative and launch a new and improved AI-powered Siri—all while quietly orchestrating its biggest leadership transition in decades. At WWDC, Apple will make its case for its next era.

What’s happening: Apple reportedly plans to use WWDC to make an unusual pitch—that running AI models locally on your device rather than the cloud is a feature, not a limitation, people familiar with its plans told the Information late last week. It’s also hoping to make a splash with a rebuilt Siri, all with the backdrop of an impending leadership change that will install Apple's longtime hardware chief John Ternus as the company’s next CEO.

The AI pitch: While its rivals sink billions of dollars into massive data center buildouts for cloud infrastructure, Apple is reportedly planning to position its processing constraints as a privacy feature.

Its logic? The chips designed for iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macs can process simple queries directly on devices to preserve privacy and reduce costs. The company will use a large version of Google’s Gemini model to train a smaller version capable of running locally on Apple hardware, the Information reported. Good news for founders: Apple is also reportedly shopping for startups that know how to shrink AI models.

Plus, Siri should finally be getting its long-awaited makeover. According to recreated screenshots by Bloomberg, Siri’s all-new app essentially looks and operates just like its chatbot rivals Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini—but, in typical Apple fashion, in dark mode.

Tim Cook’s swan song: Apple’s longtime CEO Tim Cook (Tim Apple, to some), will be transitioning into the role of executive chairman in September, which means Cook’s keynote on June 8 will likely be his final major presentation. Ternus, who will become Apple's eighth CEO, is inheriting a company still trying to prove its AI chops and a Siri overhaul two years in the making. (Not to mention taking over these 10 other new product categories, which we might see some of next week.)

Bottom line: The annual WWDC carries bigger weight this year—an AI reset, a strategic play, and a CEO farewell will set the tone for what comes next for one of the largest companies in the world. —LC

How to watch: The keynote kicks off at 1pm ET on Monday, June 8. Here’s how you can check it out.

Also at Apple…

• It approved Poke as the first AI agent that can text users through iMessage’s business platform.

Correction 06/05/26: This piece has been updated to reflect that Ternus will be Apple's eighth CEO, not its third.