Apple & AI

WWDC 2026 — is Apple joining the AI race?

Plus, Apple’s unique value proposition for those who really care about meaningful elements of their lives.

This article is belongs to the Thalion’s Notes newsletter I sent to my subscribers every Saturday.

My frequent readers know that I constantly try to detect important signals from the noise of AI-hyped announcements. This week, the eyes of technology enthusiasts were focused on what was happening during WWDC 2026. I watched the keynote, and I have to admit, it was a special one. Not only because of what Apple announced, but also because it was Tim Cook’s last keynote as CEO before handing the company to John Ternus.

OK, sentiment aside, the important question I want to answer in this note is: after years of being mocked for “falling behind,” is Apple finally joining the AI race? Or maybe, and this is my observation, they are actually redefining what this race is even about.

In this note, we will go through:

• What Apple actually announced (the short version).
• Why Apple may win AI for most normal users.
• The EU asterisk that hurts users like me.
• Apple’s unique value proposition.