21 February 2025

Visitor on the digital commerce truthful in Cologne: Apple co-founder Wozniak: “I’ll by no means contact a Tesla once more”

Startup tradition and Net 3.0 – somebody who is aware of this properly is Silicon Valley legend Steve Wozniak. However the co-founder of the tech large Apple just isn’t uncritical. He revealed to FOCUS on-line why he advocates extra regulation on the Web and why he not buys the most recent iPhone.

Company bosses, buyers or politicians – all of them demand that Germany should grow to be extra progressive once more. However how does an organization grow to be progressive within the first place? One who has a solution is Steve Wozniak. Inventors are wanted for actual innovation, stated the Apple co-founder and designer of the Apple II – the primary actually widespread PC – on the Digital X commerce truthful in Cologne.

“Inventors get concepts and need to run to the lab and check out them out. It’s a part of being an inventor,” says Wozniak. Many corporations would provide you with an thought in the present day and later rent engineers to make it occur. “I’m saying it must be the opposite approach round: from day 1, engineers must be on board who need to understand concepts, and the enterprise has to observe.”

That was no totally different at Apple, stated Wozniak. “I’ve all the time been an engineer, and at Apple I didn’t need to make large bucks, I wished to showcase my engineering expertise.”

Nevertheless, Wozniak additionally criticized many technological developments in his speech. “For AI [artificial intelligence], I solely consider within the ‘Okay’ within the identify,” Wozniak stated. To date, we don’t even know the way the human mind works correctly, and we already need to rebuild it. However AI just isn’t prepared but, Wozniak stated. “AI is superb at particular issues, however for those who change the foundations even a bit bit, the AI ​​has to relearn every thing.”

Wozniak additionally dished out in opposition to well-known tech corporations: “How can it’s that even the dumbest human driver can adapt to the smallest adjustments, however Tesla’s autopilot can’t?”

The Apple co-founder was noticeably unenthusiastic about Elon Musk’s autos: “They’ve essentially the most horrible person interface. I’ll by no means contact a Tesla once more,” Wozniak stated. The higher automobiles, Wozniak continues, are constructed by Mercedes. Their design is made for folks and is intuitive – “similar to Apple’s merchandise”.

Nevertheless, the engineer didn’t need to lean too far out of the window in terms of future applied sciences. Wozniak did say that quantum computing could possibly be the “subsequent large factor” in Silicon Valley. “I don’t like wanting too far into the long run, although.” When he was nonetheless at Apple, he was capable of say what can be in the marketplace in a yr’s time – “as a result of I labored on that myself. However each time I’ve made a prediction over two years, I’ve been unsuitable,” stated Wozniak.

Wozniak can be skeptical about so-called “Net 3.0”, new applied sciences reminiscent of blockchain, and likewise the rising networking of gadgets. “I liked the early web – you had been free from the management of the highly effective and wealthy. It’s not like that anymore, and that’s a disgrace.”

The intentions behind many new applied sciences are good, Wozniak continued. When requested by FOCUS on-line whether or not customers are extra managed by new applied sciences, the 72-year-old replied: “At present it’s tough to essentially personal one thing, even a automobile! You set a temperature of 23 levels within the automobile, take the canine out and are available again to search out that the temperature has been modified – and why? As a result of the AI ​​thinks they know higher than you!”

So as to forestall the precise customers of the Web from dropping management ultimately, Wozniak additionally advocates stronger regulation by politicians. “Right here, Europe and Germany are forward of the USA. I’m all the time joyful once I hear when a big tech firm has been put as a replacement once more.”

By the way, Wozniak was lengthy related together with his former employer: “I’ve all the time purchased the most recent iPhone,” revealed Wozniak to FOCUS on-line – “at the least till now”. Within the meantime, the system generations can be too related: “I even have the Apple Watches 5, 6 and seven at residence – and I can not see any variations! I don’t want new gear anymore if the one motive for doing so is simply to indicate that you simply’re updated.”