Tim Cook Hints At Apple IoT Plans During Earnings Call, Beyond Autonomous Cars

It’s been widely reported for several months that Apple is working on developing an autonomous car technology. However, in a recent call with investors, CEO Tim Cook hinted that the company might be looking further than that. In fact, the iPhone maker might even be looking at developing technology for the Internet of Things (IoT) based on its current development trajectory.

During the recent earnings call that Cook had with investors, he noted that autonomous technology applies to more than just cars. In fact, the number of industries that make use of technology that requires no or minimal human input is growing.

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

Now, there are several ways to interpret this pronouncement, but the clearest implication is that Apple is developing autonomous technology that could apply to several fields. Looking at how the company is heavily investing in artificial technology now, this makes a lot of sense as well, which Cook talked about during the call.

“We are very focused on autonomous systems,” Cook said. “We do have a large project going, and are making a big investment in this. From our point of view, autonomy is sort of the mother of all AI projects.”

As Futurism notes, it’s only natural that Apple would want to get in on the action with regards to autonomous driving. It’s largely considered the future of the auto industry thanks to the substantially higher safety rating attached to the technology.

On the other hand, the company is also investing in IoT, with the HomePod being a good example of this. If Apple can merge its autonomous technology with the emerging field, along with that of autonomous manufacturing, the company could have a bright future beyond the constricted iPhone corridor.