Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AR Technology Is “The Next Big Thing”
The business executive shared his excitement for AR while accepting an award in Dublin this week.
With multiple reports indicating Apple’s ongoing development of an AR-dedicated headset, Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of the multinational technology company expressed the companies continued interest and dedication to the advancement and adoption of augmented reality technology while in Dubland, Ireland accepting an award celebrating the companies 40-year history in the country.
This visit included a keynote discussion conducted by Cook at the National Concert Hall as well as a follow-up interview between him and IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan. While picking Cook’s brain in regards to the most important technologies of the next 10 years, the CEO began to break down the potential benefits of AR.
“I’m excited about AR,” said Cook on-stage during the discussion (via SiliconRepublic). “My view is it’s the next big thing, and it will pervade our entire lives. Yesterday, I visited a development company called War Ducks in Dublin – 15 people and they’re staffing up and using AR for games. You can imagine, for games it’s incredible but even for our discussion here. You and I might be talking about an article and using AR we can pull it up, and can both be looking at the same thing at the same time.”
“I think it’s something that doesn’t isolate people,” continued Cook (via 9to5Mac). “We can use it to enhance our discussion, not substitute it for human connection, which I’ve always deeply worried about in some of the other technologies.”
Last year several newly-discovered patents began fueling rumors of an AR headset in development at Apple. Since then, several reports from respected industry analysts have added further credence to the rumors. Apple has since remained vocal in regards to its commitment to AR. With Facebook having already confirmed the development of its own AR headset, it’s more than likely we’ll be hearing more about this long-rumored Apple device at some point later in the year.
Until then, Cook is pursuing other ways in which Apple technology can be used throughout day-to-day life, including lowering the cost of healthcare.
“I think you can take that simple idea of having preventive things and find many more areas where technology intersects healthcare, and I think all of our lives would probably be better off for it,” said Cook. “Most of the money in healthcare goes to the cases that weren’t identified early enough. It will take some time but things that we are doing now – that I’m not going to talk about today – those give me a lot of cause for hope.”
No doubt devices such as the Apple Watch—which is already playing a pivotal role in the way users track their health—could continue being adapted to suit the specific needs of its users.
Feature Image Credit: Apple Inc.
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