❯ Apple CEO John Ternus puts design first and says AI should deliver benefits users can feel

Judging technology through user experienceAccording to MacRumors’ coverage of a TIME interview video, Apple CEO John Ternus says design should improve users’ experience and reject distracting or frivolous ideas. In the video released October 20, he said technology changes product opportunities, but he does not want Apple’s collaborative working methods to change.

Design and engineering work togetherDrawing on his mechanical-engineering background, Ternus described mutual understanding among industrial designers, software designers and engineers as fundamental. He cited the animation when iPhone Duo opens as a detail that adds enjoyment without functionality, and characters on the outer display that attract children’s attention toward the camera as a concrete benefit of new hardware.

AI should create an understandable benefitTernus sees AI as an opportunity to improve existing products and create new ones, with personalization a focus. Users should appreciate a feature without first understanding its underlying technology. Apple’s official announcement sets preorders for October 16 and availability for October 23. The new form factor also depends on integrated hardware, software and app experiences.

▮ SIGNALConsumer AI earns its value through useful interaction, requiring hardware, software design and models to work together around specific user needs.