Steve Wozniak’s Surprising Take on the iPhone Air and the Future of Technology

At Dreame Next, a tech event filled with groundbreaking innovations, one moment stood out as particularly memorable — the appearance of Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. His presence was not just a nostalgic nod to the past but a glimpse into his current views on technology and its future direction.

Wozniak shared his admiration for the latest Apple devices, particularly the iPhone 17 Pro Max. However, he humorously referred to the orange color model as the “Trump phone” due to its resemblance to the US president's complexion. Despite this lighthearted comment, it was the iPhone Air that truly captured his attention. As he waved the device from his jacket pocket to the crowd, he emphasized how its slim design evokes an emotional response. For Wozniak, the aesthetics of the iPhone Air are infused with a sense of human passion that makes it stand out.

For Wozniak, the human element is paramount in technology. He believes that “human beings are more important than the technology.” This philosophy extends to the way companies operate. In his view, the key to focusing on the human aspect lies in having engineers at the helm of leadership roles. Engineers, he argues, bring the passion and know-how needed to create designs that people not only use but also love.

While he did not directly address Apple’s current situation, his emphasis on engineers leading the charge seemed to subtly endorse John Ternus, the incoming Apple CEO. Ternus, who has played a significant role in Apple’s hardware development over the years, could bring a unique perspective to the company. Wozniak praised the idea of leaders “leading design with their hearts,” a concept he believes is essential for creating meaningful technology.

The Complicated Relationship with AI

Despite his enthusiasm for the iPhone Air, Wozniak’s views on artificial intelligence (AI) were more mixed. He described his relationship with AI as “complicated.” While he acknowledges that AI can provide valuable ideas, he is concerned about the mistakes it makes. “It can give me some good ideas, but I do not like the mistakes it makes because it’s too easy to believe the fake stuff,” he said.

Wozniak pointed out that AI often speaks with such confidence that its errors can be overlooked. Moreover, he believes AI lacks the human flair that only a real emotional person can deliver. “AI can do valuable things, but it doesn’t have a heart,” he remarked.

He admitted that artificial general intelligence (AGI), which would be as smart as a human, could theoretically possess emotions. However, he expressed skepticism about achieving AGI anytime soon. During a conversation about his time in college, where he studied psychology, he mentioned the challenges of modeling the human brain. “Engineers worked out the only way to build a human brain takes nine months,” he joked, a statement that initially went unnoticed by the hosts.

In case he is wrong about AGI, Wozniak added a humorous twist, joking that he has started feeding his dogs fillet steaks. “That’s how I’d want to be treated,” he said.

The Future of Technology: No End to PCs

Looking ahead, Wozniak acknowledged that predicting the future is difficult. However, he expects the next decade to bring incremental improvements rather than revolutionary changes. He envisions better phones, computers, and other technologies, but not at the expense of existing products.

When asked about the possibility of smartphones replacing PCs, Wozniak dismissed the notion. “I don’t really believe that,” he said. Drawing a parallel to cars, he noted that once a product reaches a certain level of performance, it tends to remain stable for a long time. Similarly, both phones and PCs have reached their respective plateaus, and he does not expect one to cannibalize the other.

Wozniak emphasized the importance of continuous improvement. “You’ve got to believe you can improve the technology of the day,” he said. He credited Apple’s success to this mindset, highlighting how the company constantly looks for ways to enhance what it already has. “Improve it, improve it, keep taking steps towards the eventual great future.”

This approach, he believes, is key to driving innovation and ensuring that technology remains relevant and meaningful to users.