Even Tim Cook thinks online ads can be creepy.
The Apple CEO, in a dig at social media giant Facebook, said in an MSNBC interview that aired Friday that everyone should know how much data they're sharing and what can be inferred about us from that information. He added that privacy "is a human right" and said he's worried about how advertisers and others can abuse access to our data.
"To me it's creepy when I look at something and all of a sudden it's chasing me all the way across the web," Cook said. "I don't like that."
The comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview between Cook, MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Recode's Kara Swisher. MSNBC broadcast the special, named "Revolution: Apple changing the world" at 5 p.m. PT on Friday. The interview was taped the day after Apple's education event in Chicago, where the company introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad and tools for teachers.
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Highlights from Apple's March iPad event in Chicago
The two publications released some early clips and comments from Cook over the past couple of weeks. That included remarks he made about Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Cook noted that Apple purposely chose not to make "a ton of money" off its customers' data and that Facebook failed to effectively regulate itself, prompting a need for government intervention.
Along with Facebook and its privacy issues, Cook talked up DACA and immigration, tax reform, the changing job landscape and the need for everyone to learn coding, free xxx porno hub among other topics.
CNET reviewed a transcript of the interview and picked out some of Cook's other comments for you.
Tech can't replace teachers
The main reason for MSNBC/Recode's interview with Cook was Apple's education announcements. The company is making a big push to woo teachers and schools after its earlier problems with digital textbooks and pricey iPads.
Cook during the interview noted that "education is the great equalizer of people." That's why Apple has been pushing its new Everyone Can Code curriculum to teach people how to make apps and other software.
"We don't believe that technology can replace teachers. ... Our products are tools. And we make tools for people to be able to amplify their performance. Right? They help people, not replace people."
We should all learn how to code
"Everyone needs to learn to code. I think that in today's environment, software touches everything we do all day long, from the way you get your news to the way you order things. Software is nothing more, or coding is nothing more than a way to express yourself. It's a language. The core skills in coding -- critical thinking, problem-solving -- these are things that are modern-day skills required for living. ...
"Coding is nothing more than a way to express yourself. It's a language."
"It's not our expectation that everybody becomes a software programmer for life, by any means. The vast majority will not. But it's important that people understand the basics of coding, just like it's important for people to understand the basics of mathematics or other kind of core subjects."
AI and robots will replace a lot of jobs
Not every job that exists today will be made obsolete by artificial intelligence, but some will, Cook said. Still, he noted that it's not "doom and gloom."
"Jobs will be cannibalized over time and replaced by others. And now, those people that embrace that, they're going to do incredibly well, and certainly the system to help people retrain has to be put in place and largely needs a lot of work right now to do that, but I think there are going to be incredible jobs in AI, AR. I'm a huge fan of augmented reality. I think it is huge. ...
MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Recode's Kara Swisher interview Apple CEO Tim Cook after the company's education event in Chicago.
Jeff Schear/MSNBC
"We've had this significant productivity change in the United States for a long time, and there have been jobs that have been displaced, but frankly, many more jobs have been created than displaced. What we didn't do a good job of is taking care of the people that were displaced and getting them into the jobs that were being created. That is a muscle the US has not done a good job of building."
We all work too much
"I think that all of us should count on there's an element of what each of us do that will be automated over time. And part of that, by the way, we should all say thank God because we're all working too much. Wouldn't society be great if we all work a little less, but we didn't have to dial down our output? That wouldn't be so bad, but I do think that we all have to get used to the idea of continually learning, refreshing our skills for the jobs of tomorrow. The jobs of tomorrow right now are heavily software-based. If you look in this country today, there's a half a million jobs that are not being filled; they're all software."
"Wouldn't society be great if we all work a little less, but we didn't have to dial down our output?"
The corporate tax reform is 'good for America'
Apple has nearly $300 billion in cash, and most of that's held overseas. As part of the new US tax plan, the company will pay $38 billion in taxes to bring the money back to the US. Apple said it plans to invest $30 billion in the US over the next five years by building a new campus and creating 20,000 new jobs. Factoring in current spending, product sales tax and taxes on employees' wages, Apple said it expects to contribute $350 billion to the US economy over that period.