Tim Cook Says Apple is 'Very Focused on Autonomous Systems'

It's no secret that Apple is working on an autonomous driving system, thanks to statements from Apple CEO Tim Cook, information published by the DMV, and the presence of Apple's autonomous test vehicles on the road, but during today's earnings call, Cook re-emphasized Apple's deep interest in the technology, and he even hinted Apple's work on autonomy could be used for more than vehicles.

"In terms of autonomous systems, what we've said is that we are very focused on autonomous systems from a core technology point of view," Cook said. "We do have a large project going, and we're making a big investment in this from our point of view."

appleautonomousdrivingtestlexus
Cook went on to call autonomy "the mother of all AI projects," a statement he's shared before in an interview with Bloomberg. Cook also hinted that Apple has other autonomous projects in the works beyond a car system.

"Autonomous systems can be used in a variety of ways -- a vehicle is only one, but there are many different areas of it. And I don't want to go any further with that," he said.

Apple has presumably been working on an autonomous driving system since 2014, when rumors of its efforts to create an electric vehicle first surfaced. Apple has now moved away from creating a full vehicle and is said to be focusing on self-driving technology instead.

Since April, Apple has been testing its autonomous driving system in several Lexus RX450h SUVs, which can be spotted on the roads around its Cupertino headquarters.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...

Top Rated Comments

826317 Avatar
111 months ago
Do you guys not realise that Apple have a different department working on autonomy from the iPhone, it's not like resources are shifted away from the iPhone or the Mac
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
filmantopia Avatar
111 months ago
Apple's going and changing the world again.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AgentAnonymous Avatar
111 months ago
Apple is taking on an autonomous car project entirely in the background, something completely out of their realm, and bigots who hate his social views still have the gall to constantly slander him and pretend he doesn't try to innovate.

Tim Cook is doing great as far as I'm concerned. None of the problems with Apple are problems that weren't also around back when Steve Jobs was CEO.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jakexb Avatar
111 months ago
I have no idea what he's getting at, but I am fascinated. Automation that isn't just about vehicles.

I honestly don't know what it could be, but it is an incredibly Apple-like thing to invest in an underlying technology that other people can build on top of. AutonomyKit.

Also, you guys are exhausting sometimes. Yes, I know you want them to work on the Mac. Point made. But are we not allowed to talk about anything else the world's most profitable company is doing?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
111 months ago
House robots.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
X--X Avatar
111 months ago

Cook went on to call autonomy "the mother of all AI projects...
It certainly sounds dramatic, or maybe NOT

Apple's new headquarters:
Cook told Fortune that Apple Park, the company's long-awaited space-ship like headquarters, was the "mother of all products."

Enterprise technology:
"Enterprise is like the mother of all opportunities," Cook told Bloomberg Businessweek ('https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-06-15/apple-s-tim-cook-on-donald-trump-the-homepod-and-the-legacy-of-steve-jobs') this month.

iOS 10:
At WWDC 2016 ('https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/13/apple-wwdc-latest-news-for-worldwide-developers-conference.html'), Cook called iOS 10 the "mother of all releases."

2012:
Cook told investors in 2013 that 2012 was the "mother of all years," The Los Angeles Times ('http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/27/business/la-fi-tn-apple-ceo-tim-cook-2012-20130227') reports.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/25/apple-self-driving-cars-ceo-tim-cooks-mother-of-all.html
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)