With the launch of the latest iPad Mini, Apple has made it evident that a software experience enriched with artificial intelligence is the future. Even if this means implementing significant updates to a tablet priced at nearly half that of its premium smartphone, the company is committed to advancing its vision.
However, Apple’s aspirations with its AI initiative have not shown the competitive fervor one might expect, and even by its own standards, the user experience has fallen short of impressive. Moreover, the phased introduction of its advanced AI features—many of which are yet to be released—has left tech enthusiasts feeling disillusioned.
It seems that the delays stem from a focus on quality and performance, according to Apple’s internal assessments. A report from Bloomberg states, “Research indicated that OpenAI’s ChatGPT outperformed Apple’s Siri by being 25% more accurate and capable of answering 30% more questions.”
To recap, Apple’s approach with Siri is quite distinct. Siri is undergoing enhancements in natural language processing and is being integrated more deeply with applications and local data. Nevertheless, there are tasks that exceed Siri’s capabilities, prompting the need to seamlessly direct certain inquiries to ChatGPT.
This comes as a result of an agreement Apple has reached with OpenAI. While it is understandable that Siri struggles with certain web-connected tasks compared to ChatGPT—mainly due to their fundamentally different functionalities—Apple’s partnership extends beyond Siri’s enhancements.
As per OpenAI, ChatGPT will also assist with capabilities like “image and document understanding.” Moreover, tools for writing—which have already been integrated into applications like Notes and Safari—will also utilize the ChatGPT framework. Even image generation tasks are slated to be supported by OpenAI’s technology.
Given Apple’s significant reliance on ChatGPT, one may assume this is because their own AI technology is not yet at the forefront, unable to compete with the likes of Google’s Gemini or Meta. Such speculation is not unfounded; internally, some at Apple reportedly believe their generative AI technology may lag over two years behind industry leaders, as highlighted by the Bloomberg report. The issue is not solely about technological advancement but also the speed of deployment.
Consider Samsung’s Galaxy AI, which has already been integrated across a wide range of its smartphones and devices, aided by Google’s Gemini platform. Chinese smartphone manufacturers have also been offering generative AI features such as image generation and next-gen assistants for quite some time now.
It seems clear that Apple’s approach to Apple Intelligence may have been rushed, likely driven by investor anxieties regarding the company’s position in the AI landscape. So far, what has emerged from Apple’s so-called “AI revolution” has been less than groundbreaking.
The most notable application of Apple Intelligence thus far has been in notification management and prioritization, which, while functional, do not represent a transformative user experience. It remains to be seen how Apple revitalizes its AI strategy in the coming year.
As of now, the company has not issued any announcements on what’s next, and many of the commitments made at this year’s developers conference have yet to see the light of day.
