
Apple CEO Tim Cook to the class of 2019: ‘My generation has failed you’ - chdaniel
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/18/apple-ceo-tim-cook-tells-the-class-of-2019-my-generation-has-failed-you.html
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netwanderer3
It's interesting that Cook mentioned the danger of how today algorithms keep
pushing for preexisting beliefs.

One of the risks with AI is the over-relying on analytical data. When a
desirable pattern is discovered, it often leads to future actions specifically
targeting this pattern simply to reinforce it more, this in turn perpetuates a
narrow and single-minded culture.

It may take away our natural ability of intuitive thinking and thus preventing
new patterns to emerge. Every decision must be made based on existing
knowledge/data so there's no more room for any unproven hypotheses.
Organizations may just avoid exploring new directions altogether when no data
readily exists.

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chewz
> Fixing climate change should not be a matter for political debate, Cook
> said.

Says executive of a company which makes completely unnecessary vanity consumer
goods which get thrown away after year or two.

~~~
neilalexander
I'm not sure this is an entirely fair assessment.

Apple have gone to great lengths to use renewable energy and even managed to
coerce some of their largest suppliers into doing the same. Their latest range
of devices are built with increasing numbers of recycled materials. They
generally have a good track record with recycling, even if not very
repairable.

I would guess there are companies out there far worse for the environment than
Apple.

[1] [https://www.fastcompany.com/40554151/how-apple-got-
to-100-re...](https://www.fastcompany.com/40554151/how-apple-got-
to-100-renewable-energy-the-right-way) [2]
[https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/11/18305840/apple-foxconn-
ts...](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/11/18305840/apple-foxconn-tsmc-
renewable-energy-supply-chain-environment-clean-green) [3]
[https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-ups-the-recycled-
materials-i...](https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-ups-the-recycled-materials-in-
its-new-iphones/)

~~~
tracker1
Even better than recycling is being able to repair and continue using.

Not only that, but effectively saying, "hey, nevermind the tens of trillions
in debt the country is, spend more."

~~~
neilalexander
That is the nature of capitalism and not really something in Apple's scope to
fix. If Apple do not participate by bringing out new models and marketing
upgrades then people will just go and be capitalistic with other companies and
their products instead.

~~~
tracker1
You mean like all the desktops and laptops that people continue to use for 5+
years today?

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kediz
We will pick up the Baton and fail the next generation.

~~~
village-idiot
I’m sure Millenials and Gen Z will have their own failings and shortcomings
that will become obvious to future historians. No generation is perfect, and
during happy times the flaws of the previous generation is exactly what the
next generation aims to fix.

But I do believe that the Baby Boomers will go down as one of the least
successful generations in modern American history. That would be survivable if
their failings were purely personal, such as their poor test scores and their
penchant for unprotected sex, but unfortunately their mendacity has spread
into the public sector. The era of Boomer rule has been nothing but corruption
and short term thinking, and they’ve left behind a country with crumbling
bridges, overdrawn pension funds, two wars longer than Vietnam, an environment
beginning to collapse, and trillions of dollars of student debt because they
defunded the education system once they’d left. And to think they have the
temerity to lecture Millenials about fiscal responsibility!

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Charlie_26
What's Cook's environment focused philanthropy track record like? Genuinely
curious

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odiroot
It's ok Mr Cook, I think we Millenials failed the Gen Z even more.

~~~
village-idiot
How? A large percentage of power and money is still in Boomer hands at this
point in time. It’s not yet Millenial’s culture to change.

Heck, we haven’t really properly transferred power from the Boomers to Gen X
yet.

