Apple punts on AI

For years, Apple has been known for taking a methodical approach when it comes to adopting new technologies. The company has a history of watching, waiting, and then revolutionizing features once considered mundane by others. When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), many expected Apple to follow the same playbook: observe the market, fine-tune the technology, and redefine it in a way only Apple can.

However, after months of anticipation, it seems that Apple’s foray into AI—dubbed Apple Intelligence—has landed with less of a bang and more of a fizzle. Despite making some incremental improvements, Apple appears to have run into the same challenges plaguing the broader AI space. The truth is, while Apple Intelligence does perform a few useful functions, the technology hasn’t yet delivered on its grand promises.

What Can Apple Intelligence Actually Do?

Let’s start with what Apple Intelligence is capable of. According to Tim Cook and Craig Federighi, the AI platform has “breakthrough capabilities” that will “transform” how users interact with their iPhones. Here are the flagship features Apple touts:

• Rephrasing snippets of text
• Summarizing emails and messages
• Generating custom emoji and clip art
• Searching for pictures of people, places, or events
• Offering basic lookups and information queries

While these may sound intriguing on paper, do they feel revolutionary? In reality, these features are things we’ve seen from countless AI-powered tools already. For example, most AI writing assistants can rephrase or summarize content with ease, and almost every Large Language Model (LLM) can distill emails or messages. Generating simple clip art and emoji, though novel for some, doesn’t scream innovation. And let’s not forget that searching for specific photos by person or place has been a staple of many platforms for years.

Voice assistants have been looking up information for us for over a decade, so the idea of Apple Intelligence offering a new take on this feels more like an incremental upgrade than a groundbreaking leap.

So, What’s New?

It’s not all doom and gloom. Apple has taken steps to make some of these tasks faster, more efficient, and—most importantly—done locally on the device, ensuring user privacy. This is a big advantage over competitors that rely on cloud-based processing. For users who prioritize privacy, this is a significant, if subtle, win.

Moreover, Apple has also hinted at how these tools could help those with accessibility challenges. For people who struggle with traditional touchscreen interfaces, AI-powered shortcuts could offer new levels of convenience.

Yet, even with these improvements, the question lingers: where is the promised revolution?

The Gap Between Promise and Delivery

The disappointment becomes more acute when you consider how Apple marketed this. At their “Glowtime” event, the company didn’t just hint at new AI capabilities—they hyped them. Cook talked about Apple Intelligence having an “incredible impact,” and Federighi promised it would “transform” the iPhone experience. These statements set the bar sky-high, leading people to believe that Apple had finally cracked the AI code and would deliver something that felt genuinely transformative.

But after the event, it’s clear the reality doesn’t quite match the rhetoric. To make matters worse, not all of the features announced are even available at launch; some are set to roll out in future updates. This staggered release only underscores the sense that Apple is still feeling its way forward with AI, rather than leading the charge.

Is Apple Falling into the AI Hype Trap?

Apple’s cautious approach to AI seemed like a wise move at first. While other tech companies rushed to market with AI tools that often felt half-baked, Apple appeared to be waiting for its “iPhone moment” in AI—a moment when it could unveil something truly game-changing.

But in trying to live up to the AI hype, Apple may have overpromised. Much like the rest of the industry, Apple’s AI features don’t feel all that different from what we’ve already seen from the likes of Google, Microsoft, and countless startups. The tech industry has been promising transformative AI for years, only for many of these tools to end up being glorified shortcuts for tasks we could already accomplish.

There’s a growing disconnect between the bombastic language companies use to describe AI and the actual value these tools provide. Apple, which once prided itself on measured, thoughtful innovation, has now joined the chorus of tech giants selling AI as the next big thing—even though its offerings feel very much like the old things, just rebranded.

The Realities of AI: Where Does It Shine?

None of this is to say that AI doesn’t have the potential to be revolutionary. In the right contexts—scientific research, certain coding tasks, material design, and even creative industries—AI is already proving to be a game changer. In these specialized fields, AI can help push the boundaries of what’s possible and accelerate discoveries in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

However, when it comes to the average consumer’s day-to-day interactions, AI’s impact has been much less impressive. The tools that Apple and others are releasing feel like conveniences rather than revolutions. Yes, summarizing emails and quickly finding a photo are helpful, but these are hardly the “breakthrough capabilities” Cook and Federighi promised.

The Bottom Line: A Missed iPhone Moment

In the end, what we’re witnessing is a classic case of over-promising and under-delivering. Apple Intelligence, at least in its current form, hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations set by the company. Rather than the transformative AI platform it was billed as, it feels more like a collection of useful—but ultimately underwhelming—features.

The tech world has been waiting for AI’s “iPhone moment,” and many believed that if anyone could deliver it, it would be Apple. But with this latest rollout, it seems that moment is still elusive.

AI may continue to evolve and find its place in the tech landscape, but for now, it’s clear that Apple has a long way to go before it can claim to have redefined what AI can do in our everyday lives. Until then, we’re left to wonder: is this a failure of imagination, or has the technology simply not caught up to the dream?