John Ternus takes helm at Apple with AI race in focus

John Ternus took over as Apple’s chief executive Tuesday, succeeding Tim Cook after nearly 15 years and inheriting the challenge of strengthening the company’s position in artificial intelligence.

Ternus, 50, previously served as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering and has been with the company since 2001. Apple announced in April that he would succeed Cook, who is moving to the role of executive chairman. The transition took effect Sept. 1.

Apple has also been playing catchup to competitors in the field of artificial intelligence, relying on a mix of in-house capabilities and external technology sources. The AI technology is set to be a crucial early test for Ternus in his first year as CEO.

Ternus, who has a background in hardware including work on products like iPad, AirPods and the Apple Watch, is expected to uphold Apple’s approach as a product company but bring increased focus on innovation as technology trends in the industry evolve with artificial intelligence.

Cook, who took over as chief executive in 2011, steps down after presiding over Apple’s transformation into a technology giant. While he was at the helm, the tech company’s services business blossomed and Apple emerged as one of the most valuable corporations in the world.

Now, Ternus will be charged with keeping Apple’s remarkable pace of development going while producing new products and the features that utilize those tools.

His first major product event as CEO is scheduled for Sept. 9, when Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone lineup.