Suche
Mein Konto
Apple in the AI race: Can the company score points with a new strategy?
Analysts analyze Apple's cautious approach to AI and its impact on free cash flow. Current developments and strategies.
Apple in the AI race: Can the company score points with a new strategy?
Investors are concerned about Apple's slow commitment to artificial intelligence (AI). These concerns were raised during the Q1 2025 investor conference, where Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes suggested that Apple's cautious approach may be beneficial. Reitzes explained that Apple is taking a "very cautious and thoughtful approach" to investing in AI and can offload capital and operating expenses by leveraging technologies from other companies, such as OpenAI and possibly Alibaba.
In fiscal 2024, Apple generated free cash flow of $109 billion, while net income was $104 billion. In contrast, competitors such as Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft plan to increase their investments in AI, which could weigh on their free cash flow. Reitzes sees free cash flow as a key financial indicator that could receive greater attention in the future.
Collaboration with DeepSeek and AI strategy
The Chinese AI company DeepSeek is causing a stir in the tech world. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, was positive about the opportunities that DeepSeek offers for increasing efficiency, particularly in terms of the cost of AI models. During the conference, Reitzes asked questions about Apple's assessment of this company. Cook emphasized that Apple is actively evaluating innovation opportunities to increase efficiency.
DeepSeek has developed a new model that dramatically reduces the cost of training and operating advanced AI models. Apple is pursuing a hybrid architecture in which AI processes run both on devices and in a private cloud to ensure data protection and efficiency. This strategy allows Apple to benefit from falling AI costs without having to invest in expensive data centers.
The integration of OpenAI's ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence was viewed as positive. However, Apple has avoided investing heavily in its own AI infrastructure until the long-term trajectory is clearer. DeepSeek's advances could reduce pressure on Apple to bear high operating costs, while the coming months will show whether Apple pursues further partnerships or its own developments to remain competitive.