Apple hints that its autonomous systems may go beyond cars
Apple CEO Tim Cook has hinted the company's artificial intelligence (AI) plans could extend far beyond self-driving cars and said the firm is working on a big project. During a call to investors, Cook said: "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." Insiders are speculating the Apple AI could be used in everything from robots to drones and shipping.
It’s an open secret that Apple is working on autonomous driving systems — the company seems to have even put self-driving vehicles on the road. But now Apple CEO Tim Cook has hinted that the company’s AI work is meant for more than just autonomous cars.

“[Autonomous] systems can be used in a variety of ways,” Cook said during a call with investors this afternoon. “A vehicle is only one, but there are many different areas of it. And I don’t want to go any further with that.”

“We do have a large project going.”

The answer makes it pretty clear that Apple isn’t limiting its AI work to autonomous vehicles. But beyond that, it leaves a lot to speculation. Autonomous systems could be used for drones, shipping, and all kinds of robots, from warehouse assistants, to search robots, down to the machine that disassembles iPhones.

Apple is certainly not the only company working on these things: there are already several autonomous drones, big ambitions for autonomous factory robots, and even plans for an autonomous delivery robot.

But expanding Apple’s focus beyond cars opens up a lot more possibilities for the company, since its AI could reach far more markets. Given how many companies are investing in autonomous technologies right now, that certainly seems like the right idea — even if cars still seem to be Apple’s main target.