Apple WWDC Puts Wedbush’s Dan Ives in “AI Turning Point” Mode, Calling It a “Jalen Brunson Moment”

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, running June 8-12, is starting to reshape the way investors may think about the iPhone maker’s artificial intelligence strategy, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. In remarks cited by TradingView, Ives framed the event as a “Jalen Brunson moment” for CEO Tim Cook and Apple’s leadership, suggesting WWDC could mark the point when the market stops viewing Apple as an AI laggard and starts expecting real, measurable commercial impact.

Ives’ argument centers on the idea that Apple is now moving from AI demonstrations to AI monetization across its ecosystem. He said Apple “basically ripped the band-aid off” at WWDC, and that investors have yet to fully appreciate how AI could change Apple’s valuation. In the same coverage, Ives compared the shift to a breakout moment, implying Apple’s transition into the AI “game” is what will start to show up in the stock’s forward expectations.

The bullish valuation view is quantitative. Ives estimated that AI could add between $75 and $100 per share to Apple’s valuation as the company integrates AI features and begins generating revenue from them. He also pegged a potential services contribution, saying AI-powered products and services could generate an additional $15 billion to $20 billion in annual services revenue over time, layered on top of Apple’s existing services base, which he characterized as roughly $100 billion annually.

Distribution, in Ives’ view, is the mechanism that could allow Apple to monetize at scale even without leading every component of AI research. He pointed to Apple’s installed base, citing approximately 1.5 billion iPhones and 2.5 billion active devices, arguing that those numbers create leverage that competitors cannot replicate quickly. The same set of remarks noted that Apple shares rose more than 2% during Monday’s session before trimming some gains, with the stock reportedly up about 0.8% at the time of writing in the coverage.

Underneath the analyst’s timing call, Apple has used WWDC to press its case that it is upgrading core user-facing AI experiences, particularly Siri. Multiple reports from the opening day described Apple unveiling a revamped “Siri AI” experience, positioning it less as a narrow voice assistant and more as an AI companion that can access on-device context and respond with results displayed in the interface.

TechCrunch reported that Apple is aiming to transform Siri into a more conversational system, with the assistant able to use device and screen information to answer user questions and take on more chatbot-like capabilities. In the same coverage, TechCrunch said Apple emphasized its privacy posture, quoting Craig Federighi as telling audiences that “privacy in AI is non-negotiable,” and arguing that data is used only to execute a request with outside verification possibilities.

Related reporting from TechCrunch also said Apple’s refreshed Siri is presented as being powered by Google Gemini models, and that Apple placed Siri AI into a broader “Apple Intelligence” update across apps such as Messages, Safari, and the Phone, among others. Axios similarly described the day’s announcements as a preview of the next versions of software for phones and computers, including a revamped Siri and additional AI features, while noting that Apple has faced delays in getting from earlier AI promises to product readiness.

Still, several items remain unclear, and not all of Ives’ most market-moving numbers come from Apple itself. The remarks cited in the post do not detail how quickly Apple would monetize AI into specific services line items, what pricing model (if any) would apply, or what portion of the $15 billion to $20 billion services upside depends on subscription revenues versus higher engagement that converts indirectly into services growth. Likewise, while WWDC announcements announcement product direction, investors will need evidence from later product launches, rollout adoption, and measurable services performance to validate the $75 to $100 per share valuation add.

For investors watching the AI narrative, the next test will be whether Apple can move from “AI features arriving” to “AI features driving dollars.” Near-term watch items include how widely Siri AI is released in beta, how developers integrate new capabilities into apps, and whether Apple provides clearer guidance or metrics tied to services monetization as Apple Intelligence features expand across devices.