Tim Cook names Apple’s biggest contributions, talks tax returns and retirement rumors

Apple CEO Tim Cook continues the company’s 50th anniversary with a press stop on ABC News’ Good Morning America. A recent interview with Michael Strahan touches on many topics, including Apple’s biggest offering, a potential tax refund, Cook’s future as CEO, and more.

Save Music and Apple’s biggest offering

The interview begins with an announcement about Apple’s expanding relationship with Save the Music:

“We are announcing today that we are increasing the number of schools we reach from 25 to almost double, so we will be able to reach 25,000 children next year with music education.”

Cook then goes down the list of Apple’s biggest contributions over 50 years:

“Oh my God, you know you can focus on product moments: reinventing music, reinventing the smartphone, bringing creativity to the table, creativity, saving lives with a watch.”

Society, AI, and privacy

Next, Cook is asked about Apple products and their impact on society:

“Well, I don’t want people to use them too much. I don’t want people to look at a smartphone more than they look at someone else’s eyes – like there’s endless scrolling – that’s not how you want to spend your day. Go out and spend it in nature.”

Cook says that AI as a technology is not neutral, but its impact lies with the user and the creator of the technology:

“I think AI is profound and can be very good. But, you know, technology doesn’t want to be good and it doesn’t want to be bad. It’s in the hands of the user and in the hands of the inventor.”

Then Cook points to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute as a privacy-focused model for AI:

“Well, we do everything on the device. And the device is encrypted, which means even Apple can’t access it. And then if we can’t answer a question on your device, we send it to something called Private Cloud Compute, basically, we think of it as a giant device in the sky with the same kind of security and architecture as your phone.”

Investing in America

“We are investing 600 billion in the US in the next four years. And in fact, if you look at your iPhone today, the front cover and the back cover, that, all that glass will come out of Kentucky at the end of this year. The engine, the system-on-a-chip. We will make more than 100 million of those in Arizona this year. This fund will also produce more than 20 billion in the US alone. iPhones are sold in the iPhones market around the world.

“We’ve invested a lot in the US. We’re a very proud American company and we want to do as much here as we can.”

There’s no mention of Apple’s Made in America Mac mini, but we know it’s coming.

In tax reform and politics

Perhaps most newsworthy is how Cook responds when asked about Apple potentially suing the government over tax refunds after the Supreme Court ruled that billions in tariffs were illegally collected. Strahan notes that Apple has paid about $3.3 billion in cash back.

“Well, we’ll monitor the situation and see what the courts will rule out. And we’ll make the right decision.”

Strahan also asked Cook about his public opinion after attending President Trump’s inauguration, presenting a gold statuette, and attending a screening of the film Melania:

“Well, what I’m doing is dealing with policy, not politics. I’m not a political person, on either side, I’m not political. So I’m straight in the middle, and I’m focused on policy. So I’m very happy that the President and the administration are accessible to talk about policy.”

Retirement ‘rumors’

Finally, Strahan asked Cook about reportedly wanting to step back.

“No, I didn’t say that. I haven’t said that. That’s a rumor. Here’s how I look at it: I love what I do deeply. 28 years ago, I entered Apple, and I’ve loved you every day since. We’ve had good times and bad, but the people I work with are very amazing. They bring the best, and I can bring the best to Michael. Imagine life without Apple.”

You can watch the interview in full at ABC News.