Apple’s latest iPad Mini launch underscored the company’s focus on AI-driven software experiences. Even with a tablet priced significantly lower than its flagship phone, Apple prioritized integrating advanced internal upgrades. However, Apple Intelligence has yet to truly impress users, even by Apple’s own high standards. The staggered rollout of key AI features, many still on the horizon, has further fueled skepticism.
Recent reports suggest that quality and performance concerns, based on Apple’s internal testing, are contributing to these delays. Bloomberg reports that Apple’s internal research indicates OpenAI’s ChatGPT outperforms Siri by a significant margin, boasting 25% higher accuracy and the ability to answer 30% more questions.
Updated interface of Siri activation.Siri’s updated activation interface.
Apple’s approach with Siri is unique. While Siri benefits from enhanced natural language understanding and deeper integration with apps and local files, it acknowledges limitations. For complex queries beyond Siri’s capabilities, requests will be seamlessly redirected to ChatGPT, leveraging a partnership between Apple and OpenAI. This strategy recognizes the inherent differences between Siri and ChatGPT as distinct products. However, Apple’s integration of OpenAI’s technology extends beyond Siri.
According to OpenAI, ChatGPT will also contribute to “image and document understanding” within Apple’s ecosystem. Features like Writing Tools, already available in Notes and Safari, also utilize ChatGPT’s capabilities. Furthermore, OpenAI’s technology will power image generation functionalities.
This reliance on ChatGPT suggests that Apple’s own AI technology stack may not yet be on par with industry leaders like Google’s Gemini or Meta’s offerings. This perception is seemingly shared within Apple, with some believing their generative AI technology lags behind competitors by over two years, according to the Bloomberg report. The challenge extends beyond mere technological advancement to the pace of implementation and deployment.
Choice between Siri and Apple IntelligenceSiri intelligently offloads queries to ChatGPT when needed.
Consider Samsung’s Galaxy AI, powered by Google’s Gemini, already integrated across a range of devices. Similarly, Chinese smartphone manufacturers have been offering generative AI features, such as image generation and advanced assistants, for some time.
Apple’s strategy with Apple Intelligence appears rushed, potentially driven by a desire to address investor concerns about lagging in the AI race. So far, the “AI revolution” promised by Apple has fallen short of expectations.
The most impactful implementation of Apple Intelligence to date has been notification summaries and prioritization, which, while useful, are more functional than transformative. It remains to be seen how Apple will revitalize its AI approach in the coming year. As of yet, concrete announcements are lacking, and even promises made at this year’s developer conference remain unfulfilled.
