Apple CEO Tim Cook hints at paid iCloud Plus tiers for heavy AI users

Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled during Thursday's earnings call that the company will introduce paid upgrade options within iCloud Plus for users who want more AI access. “We will have some kind of upgrade possibilities on iCloud Plus where people can buy up the stack,” Cook said, suggesting a tiered subscription model for heavy users of Apple Intelligence and the upcoming Siri AI. This aligns with Apple's earlier disclosure in June that its AI features—including image generation—have daily usage limits because they rely on powerful server models, with “increased access” currently available across most iCloud Plus plans.

Apple is gearing up for a major AI push this fall with the broad launch of Siri AI under iOS 27. The revamped assistant will answer questions about on-screen content, take actions across apps, and include a standalone ChatGPT-like app. Cook's comments indicate Apple sees AI usage as a monetization opportunity, potentially driving growth in its services segment, which reported $30.74 billion in revenue over the past quarter. This move mirrors strategies from OpenAI and other AI providers that charge for higher usage caps, but Apple's approach would be integrated into its existing subscription ecosystem.