AI技术持续掉队后，苹果也准备“砸钱”投资了

Core Viewpoint - Apple is preparing to increase investments in artificial intelligence to catch up with competitors like Microsoft and Alphabet, which have significantly ramped up their AI spending and user engagement with AI-driven products [2][3]. Group 1: Investment Strategy - Apple plans to either build more data centers or acquire larger companies in the AI sector, marking a shift from its historically frugal financial policy [2]. - The company has already acquired seven smaller firms this year and is open to pursuing larger acquisitions to enhance its AI capabilities [3]. - Apple's CFO indicated that total spending will increase significantly, particularly in the AI domain, although it will not be exponential growth [6]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Alphabet and Microsoft have made substantial investments in AI, with Alphabet raising its 2025 capital expenditure forecast by $10 billion to $85 billion and Microsoft expected to invest over $120 billion in data centers [2]. - Other tech giants, such as Amazon and Meta, are also increasing their capital expenditures significantly, with Amazon's spending reaching a record $31.4 billion, up approximately 90% year-over-year [2]. Group 3: Current Challenges - Apple has been relying on external data center providers for part of its cloud computing needs and has faced challenges in developing its AI technologies internally, particularly with its Siri virtual assistant [3]. - The company has encountered regulatory pressures that may impact its revenue from software and subscription services, as well as potential changes to its default search engine agreement with Google, which generates about $20 billion annually for Apple [4]. - Apple's stock price fell by 17% in 2025 due to concerns over slowing hardware sales and perceived slow progress in integrating AI features into its products compared to other tech giants [6].