The first news out of Ireland today was Apple's CEO talking about the global corporate tax system needing to be overhauled. The main reason Apple's CEO was in Ireland to begin with was to receive a Special Recognition Award recognizing Apple's long standing contribution to FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in Ireland.

The inaugural award was devised by IDA Ireland and acknowledged Apple’s 40 years in Cork. The company is Cork’s largest employer with 6,000 people forming the international operation, including more than 20 people who have been working at Apple for more than 35 years.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan asked Apple's CEO about major developments in tech he expects in the next five to 10 years. "I’m excited about AR" which is an emerging tech space to watch. More importantly, Cook added that in "My view it’s the next big thing, and it will pervade our entire lives." There wasn't any hint of AR glasses.

Cook noted that he visited a development company called WarDucks who is staffing up and using AR for games. You can imagine, for games it’s incredible.

In another example, Cook stated that "You and I might be talking about an article and by using AR we can pull it up and both be looking at the same thing at the same time."

On the practical side of life, Cook also sees applications for AR with how-to's that help with hands-on tasks: "You may be under the car changing the oil, and you’re not sure exactly how to do it. You can use AR," to explain it all.

Interestingly, the tech CEO sees benefits for AR and connecting people, more than other available technologies. "I think it’s something that doesn’t isolate people. We can use it to enhance our discussion, not substitute it for human connection, which I’ve always deeply worried about in some of the other technologies."

On another point, Cook noted that speaking as a citizen of the country with the world’s most expensive healthcare system, the cost of healthcare can "fundamentally be taken down, probably in a dramatic way," but didn't elaborate. For more on Cook's commentary, read the full Silicon Republic report.