Apple CEO Tim Cook shoots down retirement rumors on ‘GMA’

Apple CEO Tim Cook used the “Good Morning America” ​​show on Monday to silence growing speculation about his future at the company, telling viewers his retirement talk was nothing more than a rumor.

Asked about reports that he was preparing to step aside, Cook told the ABC: “No, I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that. I love what I do. I joined Apple twenty-eight years ago and have loved every day since.”

He added that he “couldn’t imagine life without Apple.”

The comments come after a tumultuous period for Apple’s top executives.

In December, the company lost its top lawyer and a key design executive, AI chief John Giannandrea, in a single week; chip guru Johny Srouji reportedly He signaled that he could go too.

The departures have raised serious questions about whether Cook’s operational leadership style is suited to the age of artificial intelligence.

Cook’s assurance comes at a pivotal moment as Apple turns 50 on April 1.

The company is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone and AI glasses this year, and it still needs to prove that it can deliver the revamped Siri experience it couldn’t in 2025.

LightShed Partners analyst Walter Piecyk was among the most vocal critics, warning in December that Apple was at risk of ceding its AI future to Google.

“You’re basically handing over AI to Google, just like you’re handing over search to Google,” Piecyk told CNBC in December. he said, arguing that the dependency could ultimately help Android take share from the iPhone because that’s where more development and integration will happen.

Apple failed to deliver on its promised overhaul of Siri last year and has since reached an agreement with Apple. Google Using Gemini to power AI features on the iPhone – an arrangement critics say could deepen Apple’s dependence on a direct rival.

Piecyk described 2026 as the ideal moment for Cook to step down; Apple shares are nearing all-time highs and a positive upgrade cycle is taking shape as consumers hold on to older phones and carriers begin introducing new subsidies. According to Piecyk, this will allow Cook to leave on a high note and hand over the AI ​​transition to a successor he helped prepare.

But Cook did not foresee any urgency on Tuesday regarding any transition.

Cook called the AI ​​technology “profound” and defended Apple’s privacy-first approach.

On the issue of tariffs (Apple paid $3.3 billion under President Trump’s trade policies), Cook made no commitment to taking legal action, saying only that the company was “monitoring the situation” and would “decide accordingly.”

WRISTWATCH: Lightshed Partners’ Walter Piecyk says Tim Cook’s departure as Apple CEO is well-timed