The iPhone is ‘not getting disrupted’ at all by AI, says Perplexity CEO

AI is shaking up plenty of industries around the world, but despite concern from some analysts, the iPhone appears stronger than ever despite Apple’s AI struggles. And that’s not a coincidence, according to Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas.

iPhone will only benefit from continual AI improvement, says Perplexity CEO

The iPhone is a world-changing consumer product that somehow keeps growing in success. Apple’s last reported quarter, for example, was the company’s biggest ever and also the best ever for iPhone.

Yet as AI continues to bring disruption to various markets globally, some have wondered if the iPhone will ultimately be toppled by a new, AI-centric product or way of computing.

Perplexity’s CEO Aravind Srinivas certainly doesn’t think so.

Speaking on the latest episode of the This Week in AI podcast, Srinivas indicated that the iPhone only stands to benefit from continual AI improvement.

Here’s my opinion. I haven’t said this before. The phone, the iPhone is actually not getting disrupted by AI at all. In fact, the more AI works better, the iPhone essentially becomes your digital passport.

Perplexity’s CEO touts Apple’s ecosystem and silicon advantages as some of the reasons why the iPhone is positioned for continued success. It’s also, in his view, why Apple can afford to move slow with its long-delayed Siri overhaul.

My sense is that even though a lot of people have opinions on how bad Siri is or good Siri is, [Apple has] the ability to take time and do things they want to do, because they have advantages as a brand that people truly trust. The ecosystem lock-in is underrated. Auxiliary hardware devices, the chip advantage, all of this is really underrated right now.

Srinivas also mentions how the iPhone is central to people’s lives for many reasons that have nothing to do with AI.

He says, “It has your wallet, it has all your cards, it has your passes, it has your health records, you connect with other human beings through it, you do FaceTimes, you do calls, you have photos of precious moments in your life.” All of these are extremely personal, and as a result, users won’t easily switch away from iPhone.

You can watch the full interview below.

What do you think of Perplexity’s CEO’s views on the iPhone’s importance in an AI world? Let us know in the comments.

h/t AppleInsider

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