Apple CEO Tim Cook insisted in a rare staff call that the company must win in AI, as the chief issued a rallying call to employees as it steps up investment in the technology, Bloomberg reported.

In a one-hour talk following its fiscal Q3 earnings call, Cook argued the AI revolution is “as big or bigger” than the internet, smartphones, cloud computing and apps, noting it “is sort of ours to grab”, the news agency wrote.

When it comes to introducing new technology, the CEO acknowledged Apple has rarely been first, giving examples of the Mac, iPod, iPad and iPhone, Bloomberg stated. But he noted it invented the “modern” versions of those categories. “This is how I feel about AI.”

At a time when the race to dominate AI is accelerating, Apple faces growing concerns about its ability to keep up with rivals in launching cutting-edge AI technology in its devices. While others have invested aggressively in LLM models integrated across platforms, Apple has focused more on on-device intelligence.

Asked about a potential acquisition in the AI space on the earnings call last week, Cook said it is “very open to M&A that accelerates our roadmap”.

He noted it is making good progress on a more personalised Siri, and expects to release the features next year. He added its focus from an AI point of view is on putting AI features across the platform that are “deeply personal, private and seamlessly integrated”.

CFO Kevan Parekh said Apple is increasing investment significantly in AI, which is driving higher capex.