Disclaimer: The following is a fictional, dramatized interview that imagines what Steve Jobs might have said in 2025 if he were still alive and commenting on the future of AI. It is a creative exercise, not a real transcript.
Interview with Steve Jobs (Imagined, 2025)
Interviewer (I): TechCrunch senior editor
Steve Jobs (SJ): Co‑founder of Apple, visionary entrepreneur
I: Steve, it’s surreal to have you here in 2025. The world of artificial intelligence has exploded since you left Apple. How do you feel about the current state of AI?
SJ: It’s both exhilarating and a little frightening. The technology has finally caught up to the intuition we tried to embed in our products years ago. But the core question remains the same: How does this serve humanity? If AI becomes a tool that amplifies human creativity, it’s a triumph. If it replaces the very act of creating, we’ve missed the point.
I: Apple has always emphasized the marriage of hardware and software. Do you think AI will become a new “hardware layer” in consumer devices?
SJ: Absolutely. The best experiences come when the hardware is designed for the software, not the other way around. Imagine a phone where the neural engine isn’t just a processor but a partner—it anticipates your needs, learns your rhythms, and adapts the UI in real time. That’s what we tried to do with the iPhone’s touch interface; now we can do it with thought.
I: Speaking of “partner,” many AI assistants still feel… robotic. What would you ask to make them feel more human?
SJ: Simplicity and personality. Humans don’t want a list of options; we want a conversation that feels natural. The assistant should know what you care about, why you care about it, and respond with a tone that matches your mood. That means moving beyond keyword matching to genuine context awareness—something that can’t be faked with a few canned responses.
I: Apple’s “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” How should that principle guide AI development?
SJ: AI should be invisible when it works well and obvious when it fails. The user shouldn’t have to think about the model; they should just experience the result. If an AI misinterprets you, the system should gracefully ask for clarification, not throw an error. The design of the interaction—the moments of feedback, the subtle cues—must be as polished as the hardware.
I: Privacy has been a cornerstone of Apple’s philosophy. With AI models that need massive data, how can we reconcile privacy with progress?
SJ: By keeping the learning on the device. The moment you send raw data to the cloud, you hand over control. With on‑device neural engines, the model can improve locally, using differential privacy to aggregate insights without exposing any individual’s data. That’s the future: powerful AI that never leaves your pocket.
I: There’s a lot of hype about “general AI.” Do you think we’re close to achieving it?
SJ: I’m skeptical of the hype. General intelligence is a moving target. We’re getting better at narrow, specialized tasks, but true generality—understanding nuance, emotions, ethics—still requires a depth of human experience that no dataset can capture. The goal should be augmented intelligence: tools that make us better, not replacements for us.
I: If you were to launch a new Apple product today, what would it be?
SJ: A personal AI hub—a small, elegant device that sits on your desk, powered by a custom silicon neural engine. It would sync with all your Apple devices, learn your workflow, and act as a creative partner: drafting emails, suggesting design tweaks, even composing music based on your mood. It would be a quiet assistant, never intrusive, always respectful of your privacy.
I: How would you address the ethical concerns surrounding AI—bias, job displacement, and the concentration of power?
SJ: First, we must be transparent. Users deserve to know why an AI made a decision. Second, we need diverse data and diverse teams building the models. Third, we must design AI to augment jobs, not replace them—think of AI as a co‑pilot, not a pilot. Finally, the power of AI should be distributed, not hoarded. That’s why I’d push for open‑source frameworks that anyone can run on their own hardware.
I: Any final words of wisdom for the next generation of creators and engineers?
SJ: Stay hungry, stay foolish, but also stay humane. Technology is a tool; the real magic happens when you combine it with curiosity, empathy, and a relentless drive to make the world better. Build things that feel right, not just things that work right. And remember: the best products are those that make people feel more themselves, not less.
End of interview.
