Did you really want Siri reading your emails?
What if we’re considering the Apple Intelligence problem backwards? Apple’s AI plans seem to be in shambles. It over-promised on upcoming iPhone features, partnered with questionable third party AI providers, and failed to deliver for so long that it’s been forced to change plans entirely. There’s even a lawsuit threat.
We can blame Apple’s leadership and question its commitment, but I think the problem isn’t with Apple at all. The problem is with AI.
As long as I’ve covered Apple, I’ve believed it won’t release a product that hasn’t reached a certain level of ‘finish.’ The original iPhone launched without GPS for navigation or video recording on the Camera app.
However, it had the most complete and polished user interface ever on a smartphone, and Safari, a mobile web browser that was as advanced as a desktop browser, a feat that defied imagination.
Even Apple Vision Pro, a product that underwhelmed critics, offered a fully-baked experience. Maybe Vision Pro didn’t have enough features at launch to satisfy potential buyers, but the features it offered worked perfectly.
And Vision Pro is the most highly-criticized Apple product in recent memory, well before Apple Intelligence imploded.That time Apple launched a product that didn’t exist. yet
Apple Intelligence made for a weird iPhone 16 launch in many ways. For longtime Apple users, it felt wildly out of character for the company.
First, there was the ChatGPT partnership, which saw Apple offloading important features to an upstart, untested partner – loudly. That move set off some warning bells.
Then, the iPhone launched, and billboards worldwide were plastered with marketing for Apple Intelligence.
