Former Apple CEO John Sculley recently hinted that current CEO Tim Cook might soon retire, suggesting Apple is on the brink of a major leadership and strategic shift. Speaking at the Zeta Live Conference in New York, Sculley said Cook’s successor will need to guide Apple from the “apps era” into the “agentic era,” where smart AI-driven agents replace traditional applications.
Sculley, who led Apple from 1983 to 1993, emphasized that Apple’s future lies in AI and subscription-based ecosystems. He called OpenAI Apple’s “first real competitor in decades,” pointing out that Apple has lagged behind in artificial intelligence innovation.
He further explained that the “agentic era” will prioritize intelligent assistants capable of performing complex tasks without multiple apps, making the user experience seamless and adaptive.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple’s hardware engineering chief, John Ternus, is emerging as a strong candidate to replace Cook, as Apple’s marketing efforts have increasingly spotlighted him.
Sculley concluded by noting that Apple’s next leader must blend hardware excellence with AI innovation to sustain the company’s legacy and relevance in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.