Apple's Cook talks privacy, AI & App Store revenues at China's World Internet Conference
Speaking on Sunday at the World Internet Conference -- organized by the Cybersecurity Administration of China -- Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed a variety of topics, including sensitive ones that risked offending the pro-censorship Chinese government.
"Much has been said of the potential downsides of AI, but I don't worry about machines thinking like humans. I worry about people thinking like machines," Cook said according to Bloomberg. "We all have to work to infuse technology with humanity, with our values."
The executive argued that technology should provide openness and creativity while simultaneously including privacy, protections, and decency.
Apple has sometimes been criticized for bowing to pressure by the Communist Party, as the latter attempts to exert more control over the internet and suppress dissent. Apple has for instance taken down Microsoft's Skype and various VPN apps from the Chinese App Store, despite rhetoric about privacy and user freedom in other countries.
The company is presumably worried about losing access to the Chinese market, which is its third biggest and might cost the company billions annually if it decided to make a stand.
Cook also revealed that there are about 1.8 million Chinese developers on its platforms, who have pulled in some $16.93 billion in App Store revenues, CNBC noted. That's approximately a quarter of worldwide App Store totals. Apple's Chinese operations in general are claimed to support over 5 million jobs.
"Much has been said of the potential downsides of AI, but I don't worry about machines thinking like humans. I worry about people thinking like machines," Cook said according to Bloomberg. "We all have to work to infuse technology with humanity, with our values."
The executive argued that technology should provide openness and creativity while simultaneously including privacy, protections, and decency.
Apple has sometimes been criticized for bowing to pressure by the Communist Party, as the latter attempts to exert more control over the internet and suppress dissent. Apple has for instance taken down Microsoft's Skype and various VPN apps from the Chinese App Store, despite rhetoric about privacy and user freedom in other countries.
The company is presumably worried about losing access to the Chinese market, which is its third biggest and might cost the company billions annually if it decided to make a stand.
Cook also revealed that there are about 1.8 million Chinese developers on its platforms, who have pulled in some $16.93 billion in App Store revenues, CNBC noted. That's approximately a quarter of worldwide App Store totals. Apple's Chinese operations in general are claimed to support over 5 million jobs.
Comments
A bit fatuous, but I take your point.
In America, 'businesses' control government!
So, either Cook knows more about AI than Musk, or Musk has just let a bit too much sci-fi rub off on him.
Second this too.
Musk's life is like science fiction. And he thinks like a machine.
Hats off to you sir !
Not to downplay the dilemma Apple faces with regard to China's increasingly-effective and all-encompassing censorship, but I think I'd argue it's far less difficult to handle than what's happening in the rest of the world. In some ways, it is very straightforward.
Also, speaking in China about privacy, is like speaking to Kim Jong Un about human rights...just saying.
I assume you're talking about Net Neutrality? The problem is that there is anti-free-speech wording built right into it. And, while I'm a strong advocate of net neutrality, one of the biggest fears with the current policy is exactly free-speech.
Bull-puckey. While we might be 'biological machines' we're also much more than that. If we weren't, there would be no need for human rights (nor basis for one), and this conversation we're having wouldn't be real.
Well said!