Apple Says It Is “Not Threatened” by OpenAI. In My Opinion, You Do Not Sue Someone You Do Not Fear

As 9to5Mac, MacRumors and AppleInsider reported, TIME’s cover story on Apple CEO John Ternus also included Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak. Asked about OpenAI’s hardware plans, he said: “We don’t feel threatened. The fact that we can do the integration that we can means we can create just a better experience than anybody else.”

Joswiak added that Apple is not making products for die-hard AI believers chasing superintelligence: “We love them, and they can use it too, but that’s not our target. It’s how to make it better for everyday people.” TIME’s Andrew Chow wrote that while Apple trains its own models, it is “nowhere near the technology’s frontier”, and that Apple executives describe a modest, personal, privacy-preserving AI instead of dazzling Silicon Valley’s “lunatic fringe”, as Joswiak put it.

In this article: “Not threatened”, but suing OpenAI? · Who are these “everyday people”? · An excuse, not a strategy · AI lite: they sell AI, then say they don’t bet on it · Siri vs ChatGPT and Claude · TIME: “nowhere near the frontier” · “Apple will come out of the AI bubble better”? · Not afraid of Jony Ive and OpenAI? · Privacy: Apple’s one real point · Is Apple only for the rich? · Just marketing? · What would make me trust Apple in AI again · FAQ

“Not threatened”, but suing OpenAI?

In July, Apple sued OpenAI, Jony Ive’s io and two former employees over hardware trade secrets. OpenAI has hired around 400 people from Apple’s hardware teams and is working on its own AI device. I wrote about it in my OpenAI vs Apple article.

Is Apple still Apple? The whole world is going into a new wave of AI right now. I mean the whole world. AI can code, edit video, read and collect data. And Apple says: we make AI for everyday people.

Who are these “everyday people”?

I am just curious: who are these everyday people for you? You want to tell me that people who live with technology and buy your expensive things are some sales assistant in a shop? I do not want to offend anyone. Or someone who does not care about technology and just wants to pay almost $1,500 for a phone? I am really curious what they meant by that.

I have a lot of questions. So you want to tell me that when I use AI at work every day, I am not your primary customer? That is really “well said”.

One MacRumors reader asked the same thing: “Does using ChatGPT daily make me part of the lunatic fringe?” Exactly.

An excuse, not a strategy

It is the same as when, in my opinion, they talked as if they invented the foldable phone in 2026. I wrote about that in my iPhone Duo article. It is more of an excuse, and a quite embarrassing one.

You see that you are behind. At least say it honestly: until now, we did not put enough into AI, we are preparing now, we are bringing in people and we will work on it. Not: we do not bet much on it and we make phones for grandmas who do not use AI. That sounds very embarrassing. Very.

AI lite: they sell AI, then say they don’t bet on it

Apple itself built huge PR campaigns on Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. Keynotes, ads, AI everywhere. They make money on AI marketing. And then the marketing chief comes out and says Apple does not bet on AI, and makes it for everyday people.

In my opinion, that is AI lite. You cannot sell AI as the reason to buy a new iPhone, and then say you do not really bet on it. Either AI is your big selling point, or it is not. Both at the same time does not work.

Siri vs ChatGPT and Claude

Is Siri AI better for everyday people than ChatGPT? Siri is a feature you use when you are in the car in front of the gate and say: “Hey Siri, open the home gate.” That is about it, or for really simple things.

I do not think Siri will be able to do what Meta AI or Grok can. Those are more its real competition. Right now, the super brains are OpenAI and Claude, and I would not even call them Siri’s competitors. And Apple says that whoever uses them is the “fringe”.

TIME: “nowhere near the frontier”

Apple is really, really late. In my opinion, it runs only to make money and to keep investors believing in it, not ordinary people. AI develops in mega fast jumps, and Apple is in no hurry. It is almost funny.

“Apple will come out of the AI bubble better”?

The most liked comment on MacRumors said Apple will come out of the AI bubble in better shape. I do not want to offend anyone, but if you do not know what AI can do and you call it a bubble, you are exactly the right Apple customer, and Apple Intelligence is probably the PR campaign for you.

I do not believe that anyone still says AI is a bubble. Something people use every day is not a bubble, as I wrote in my Apple $5 trillion article.

Not afraid of Jony Ive and OpenAI?

AI is already replacing people at work in some sections. So how can you think Apple is not afraid of them? I think that is maybe why Apple hurries to make as much money as possible while it still can.

I am almost 90% sure that Ive with OpenAI will be a real force. You see what OpenAI can do with ChatGPT, and you still ask if it will be competition? Not for nothing are they suing each other, in my opinion to drag out the time as long as possible, so OpenAI does not release its invention too soon. I am quite looking forward to it.

Privacy: Apple’s one real point

I will be honest: privacy is still a weak spot of AI, and I think they will find out how to do it safely. Here Apple Intelligence gets a point from me. Privacy is where Apple is best.

Imagine if they joined forces: Apple teaches ChatGPT privacy, and ChatGPT teaches the iPhone to become a truly next-level iPhone together with the iOS ecosystem. That would be a force: your private AI agent that does almost everything you say with your voice. That would be next level. Not a hinge with 100 parts.

Is Apple only for the rich?

One reader joked that “everyday people” means those in the right tax bracket. I think some people are so obsessed with Apple that they buy the Duo on installments. In my opinion, a healthy person would not do much of that. And rich people are not obsessed with brands. Maybe the iPhone 18 Pro Max is for rich people. The Duo, in my opinion, is for the obsessed, who want the newest Apple gadget right away at any cost.

Just marketing?

Joswiak is the marketing chief. This is just his job. You can see right away why it came out at all.

What would make me trust Apple in AI again

To become AI, it must be a real AI that understands every language, is fast and smart. Right now it is only Siri AI, added so they can say they gave us something new, and they push it everywhere they can.

And if AI is for normal people, why does Apple’s AI work only on newer, expensive iPhones? In my opinion, that is not true and a misleading claim, against admitting that they are far behind and only want to earn on it and promote AI. Even though they themselves say people who use AI all the time are just playing. What would make me trust them? Good, quality tech products that are ahead.

Featured photo: ChatGPT on a phone by Sanket Mishra / Unsplash

Disclosure: the author owns Apple shares. This article is opinion.

Apple vs OpenAI AI: FAQ

What did Greg Joswiak say about OpenAI?

In a TIME interview, Apple’s marketing chief Greg Joswiak said: “We don’t feel threatened,” arguing Apple’s integration of hardware, software and services creates a better experience than anyone else.

What is the AI “lunatic fringe” Apple mentioned?

Joswiak said Apple is not targeting die-hard AI believers chasing superintelligence, but “everyday people”. TIME described this as avoiding Silicon Valley’s “lunatic fringe”.

Is Apple behind in AI?

TIME wrote that while Apple trains its own models, it is “nowhere near the technology’s frontier”. Apple uses Google Gemini technology for Siri AI.

Why are Apple and OpenAI in a legal fight?

Apple sued OpenAI, Jony Ive’s io and former employees in July 2026 over alleged hardware trade secret theft. OpenAI denies it and has made its own accusation against Apple.

Is OpenAI making hardware?

Yes. OpenAI bought Jony Ive’s startup io and is reportedly working on AI devices, including a speaker.

Sources: TIME, 9to5Mac, MacRumors, AppleInsider.

Our Take

Is Apple afraid? Yes.

In my opinion, “we don’t feel threatened” while suing OpenAI only proves it. And maybe soon we will see Apple’s first real competitor in years.