Apple Inc., long admired for its innovation and sleek design, is now facing mounting pressure to reinvent itself in the era of artificial intelligence. Industry analysts from LightShed Partners are warning that without bold leadership changes potentially at the very top the iPhone-maker risks falling behind in the AI arms race.
The analysts argue that while CEO Tim Cook has delivered exceptional operational leadership since succeeding Steve Jobs, Apple now requires a product-focused visionary to steer it through the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI. “To be clear, Tim Cook was the right CEO at the time of his appointment and unquestionably has done a great job,” analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone wrote in a July 9 report. However, they stressed that Apple’s lack of significant AI breakthroughs under his watch is cause for concern.
The warning comes at a critical juncture for Apple. The company recently announced the retirement of long-serving Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams and appointed Sabih Khan, an India-born executive who has been with Apple since 1995, as his successor. Khan, previously senior vice president of operations, is credited with revolutionizing Apple’s global supply chain. His promotion reflects internal stability but, according to the analysts, does little to address the company’s AI innovation deficit.
Apple’s AI initiatives, particularly the much-anticipated upgrades to Siri and the Apple Intelligence suite, have faced delays and technical hurdles. Siri’s next-gen version touted as a smarter, context-aware assistant at WWDC 2024 remains more than a year behind schedule.
Adding to the concerns, Ruoming Pang, a leading AI researcher at Apple, recently departed to join Meta’s artificial superintelligence unit. This followed the January 2025 appointment of Kevan Parekh as Apple’s new chief financial officer, succeeding Luca Maestri.
“AI will reshape industries across the global economy, and Apple risks becoming one of its casualties,” the analysts warned, emphasizing that missing the AI wave could alter Apple’s growth trajectory. As competitors like Google, Meta, and Microsoft accelerate their AI dominance, the Cupertino giant faces a critical decision: evolve its leadership or risk being left behind.
