Apple: John Ternus Succeeds Tim Cook, Launch Announced

Apple is now under the leadership of John Ternus, while Tim Cook becomes executive chairman. At the same time, the week saw a new $1.1 billion fund for AI, advancements in the robotaxi sector, and strategic moves attributed to Nvidia around the AI stack.

$1.1 Billion for AI, First Paid Rides, and GoPro Sold for $285 Million

Andreessen Horowitz has launched a fund called "Machine Age" with $1.1 billion, presented as an indicator of the growing interest in hardware investments in early-stage AI. In the robotaxi sector, Tesla held a Cybercab event, Waymo expanded its operations to new cities, and Zoox conducted its first paid rides. Additionally, GoPro was acquired for $285 million, a deal seen as the end of an era for an iconic Silicon Valley company.

Nvidia Aims for the Entire AI Stack

Nvidia is positioned as seeking to control the entire AI stack, beyond its traditional role as a chip manufacturer. This strategy includes the acquisition of Hugging Face, an investment in MediaTek, and deep computing agreements.

At Apple, Ternus Promises an Imminent Launch, Cook Becomes Executive Chairman

Tim Cook stepped down this week from his role as CEO of Apple and became executive chairman, focusing on political relations. John Ternus, former hardware chief, takes the helm of the company and announced in his first memo an "enormous launch next week," placing the upcoming iPhone event under his immediate responsibility. According to the hosts of the Equity podcast, Ternus may be better positioned to advance Apple in software rather than hardware in the current AI context.