Apple CEO Tim Cook affirmed the company's continued pursuit of artificial intelligence (AI) acquisitions and strategic partnerships during its Q4 2025 earnings call this week. Cook also provided an update on the development timeline for the next-generation, AI-powered Siri, slated for a 2026 launch, and detailed the operational ramp-up of a new manufacturing facility in Houston dedicated to producing AI servers.
During the call, Cook addressed an analyst's inquiry regarding Apple's multi-pronged approach to personalized AI, which includes internal foundation model development, collaborations with third-party large language model (LLM) providers, and potential acquisitions. Cook confirmed the company remains open to mergers and acquisitions, stating that Apple "continually surveils the market on M&A" and is "open to pursuing M&A if we think that it will advance our roadmap." Prior to the earnings call, Cook indicated to CNBC that Apple intends to integrate with additional partners, similar to its existing collaboration with OpenAI for ChatGPT integration into Siri and Apple Intelligence.
Apple's AI strategy involves creating its own foundation models, deploying them on devices, and leveraging them within its Private Cloud Compute system. This proprietary cloud intelligence framework is designed specifically for private AI processing. Cook noted that Private Cloud Compute technology is already employed for certain Siri queries, with the company actively expanding its infrastructure to support these operations.
A key development highlighted by Cook was the recent commencement of manufacturing at a plant in Houston. This facility is producing the servers essential for Apple Intelligence. "The manufacturing plant that makes the servers used for Apple Intelligence just started manufacturing in Houston a few weeks ago, and we've got a ramp planned there for use in our data centers," Cook stated during the call. This initiative underscores Apple's vertical integration efforts in its AI infrastructure. Cook also suggested that Apple Intelligence is increasingly influencing consumer purchasing decisions for new smartphones, a factor he anticipates will grow in significance.
