Steve Wozniak thinks that his Apple co-founder Steve Jobs would be very happy with Apple today. That’s because it’s still a company which puts people above technology, Woz told CNBC.
“Steve always acted that way,” Woz said. “The users should be more important than the technology itself. You should not be a victim of the technology and what it can do. You should get to live your human life in the most human way possible.”
In the same interview, Wozniak discussed the difference between what he views as the “features” developed by rival companies, like Samsung, and true innovation. He singles out Samsung’s smile recognition photo technology, which snaps a picture whenever you smile, as a fun feature. However, he compares that to the true innovation of something like Touch ID and Apple Pay.
Interestingly, Woz also casts some doubts over true autonomous driving, which he says at one point he thought he was convinced was just around the corner. “I do not believe in auto driving cars,” he said. “I don’t really believe it’s quite possible yet.”
When asked about Tesla’s so-called Autopilot feature, he made clear that this is not true autonomous driving. Interestingly, Woz — who has been a big Tesla fan in the past — said that, “Tesla makes so many mistakes.” However, he did not elaborate on what these might be. “It really convinces me that auto piloting and auto steering car driving itself is not going to happen,” Woz said.
Apple is currently working on self-driving automotive technology.
The whole interview lasts around 15 minutes and cover other topics like the value of AAPL stock, Tim Cook’s focus on human rights, and whether the company’s best days are behind it. While Woz hasn’t been heavily involved in Apple since the 1980s, he remains an official employee and stock holder — albeit an occasionally outspoken one.
