Apple is gearing up for a major push into AI, with CEO Tim Cook hinting that big spending and bold moves are on the horizon – possibly including major acquisitions.

During the company’s third-quarter earnings call, Cook confirmed that Apple has acquired seven AI-related startups so far this year and is open to buying larger companies to accelerate its AI roadmap.

“We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a roadmap, and if they do, then we’re interested,” Cook said.

While Apple has traditionally favoured smaller, specialised acquisitions, the company’s tone has shifted.

This comes amid growing criticism that Apple is lagging behind rivals like Google and Microsoft in the AI arms race.

While its competitors are spending upwards of US$100 billion (A$154 billion) annually on AI infrastructure, Apple’s efforts have been more measured, often relying on third-party data centres.

But that’s changing. Apple CFO Kevan Parekh said AI-related spending will grow “substantially,” including investments in data centres and Apple’s custom AI chip development.

Internally, Apple has launched a new ‘Answers’ team, led by former Siri executive Robby Walker, to develop a stripped-down, in-house rival to ChatGPT.

The so-called “answer engine” aims to deliver conversational, search-like AI capabilities across Siri, Safari, and Spotlight – areas where Apple currently defers to Google, which pays Apple billions annually to remain the default search engine.

That arrangement is under legal pressure in the US, with Apple reportedly exploring partnerships with AI-native search startups like Perplexity.

Industry insiders say Apple is building the backend infrastructure to support its own AI search offering.

Meanwhile, Mac sales are booming.

Apple reported double-digit Mac growth in Q3 2025, with revenue up US$1 billion year-on-year and an all-time high Mac installed base.

A surge in enterprise adoption, driven in part by organisations moving away from Windows 11, has played a key role.