Tom Lee says Apple is ready to pounce on AI - and Wall Street has no idea what’s coming

Wall Street is excited about Apple’s future in AI — but analyst Tom Lee thinks Apple is planning something even bigger than expected. In a recent X post, Tom Lee from Fundstrat said Apple has been quietly getting ready for AI and could shock investors soon.

On CNBC, Lee said, “Apple doesn’t need to pay big money for AI models. They’re ready and waiting to make their move.” Some people think Apple may buy Perplexity AI, but Lee didn’t confirm that—he just believes Apple will make a smart and strategic move into AI, as per the report by Benzinga.

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Some want apple to buy big AIcompanies

Other experts, like Daniel Ives (Wedbush) and Jim Cramer, are pushing Apple to buy Perplexity AI to stay ahead in the AI race. Dav Lee from Bloomberg Opinion disagrees. He says Apple should hire top AI talent instead of buying whole companies, to avoid cultural clashes and big risks.

He warned that buying an entire AI company could cause problems with team fit, operations, and government regulators. Jim Cramer posted on X that if Apple buys Perplexity, “the stock would soar”, and also criticized Apple’s stock buybacks in 2024, saying “they’ll do nothing”, according to the report by Benzinga.

Apple might build its own AI path

Apple reportedly spent the most on buybacks this year but is being pressured to spend instead on AI growth. U.S. antitrust action against Google (Alphabet) might force Google to stop being the default search on Apple’s Safari by August — opening a door for Apple to push its own AI search options.

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Daniel Ives also said Apple’s slow “treadmill approach” should end — they need a major partnership, possibly with Perplexity or Anthropic, to really compete in AI. Ives added that Apple can’t do everything from Cupertino anymore — they must go big or risk falling behind competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, as mentioned in the report by Benzinga.

FAQs

Q1. Is Apple planning to enter the AI market soon?
Yes, analyst Tom Lee says Apple is quietly preparing for a big move in AI that could surprise investors.

Q2. Will Apple buy Perplexity AI to boost its AI tools?
Experts like Jim Cramer and Daniel Ives think Apple should buy Perplexity AI, but others believe Apple may grow its AI by hiring top talent instead.