Apple is at a standstill.

Apple is falling behind in the artificial intelligence race as Siri is outdated, new AI products are delayed, and its unclear strategy is causing the company to gradually lose market share to competitors.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic race for global technology corporations. From search engines and virtual assistants to hardware devices like virtual reality glasses, AI is seen as the key to unlocking a new era of computing, where users interact using natural language instead of tapping or typing on a keyboard.

While Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta are constantly releasing breakthroughs in AI, Apple remains stagnant. Siri is becoming increasingly outdated, AI features are being delayed, and the company is internally struggling with its development strategy. This silent crisis could seriously threaten Apple's position in the coming years.

Siri is falling behind, Apple is at a standstill.

Apple was once a pioneer in the field of virtual assistants when it launched Siri in 2011. At the time, Siri was considered a revolutionary tool, allowing users to interact with their phones using their voice, something few tech companies had achieved. However, after more than a decade, Siri has not only failed to advance but has also fallen behind competitors like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

In 2018, to turn things around, Apple recruited John Giannandrea, a former AI manager at Google, hoping to help Siri regain its position. Giannandrea was given full control over all artificial intelligence-related activities and reported directly to CEO Tim Cook. Apple's senior leaders expected this to be a turning point, propelling Apple to become a leader in AI, just as the company had done with the iPhone and MacBook before.

While Siri is outdated, Apple Intelligence continues to be delayed. Photo: Bloomberg .

However, after seven years, the results haven't lived up to expectations. Siri still can't handle complex queries, has poor conversational skills, and frequently gives inaccurate answers. Meanwhile, tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini have completely changed how users expect a modern virtual assistant.

The iPhone manufacturer introduced Apple Intelligence at the WWDC 2024 event as a significant step in its AI strategy. However, these features have all been delayed, and some are still not expected to launch until mid-2025. This inconsistency between marketing and the actual product has led to consumer skepticism and numerous class-action lawsuits over false advertising.

Siri's sluggishness isn't simply a technical issue; it clearly reflects Apple's conservative approach to AI, a field that demands speed, openness, and the ability to accept failure in order to progress.

Inconsistent strategy

According to Bloomberg , Apple is divided internally on the importance and direction of AI. While CEO Tim Cook considers it a "long-term priority," some senior leaders, such as Vice President Craig Federighi, are reluctant to invest heavily in the area. Federighi seems to remain loyal to traditional software development methods, prioritizing slow, tight control and stability.

Giannandrea, Apple's AI manager, repeatedly proposed major changes to Siri's development strategy but lacked the necessary support. Despite his experience, he was deemed not "decisive" enough to secure the necessary budget and resources. The AI ​​engineering teams under his leadership described their work as "a sinking ship with no one to rescue it."

Giannandrea (left) and Federighi (right) at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2024. Photo: Bloomberg .

The problem is further exacerbated by Apple's lower investment in AI infrastructure compared to its competitors. While Google, Microsoft, and Amazon quickly acquired GPUs for AI training, Apple maintained a strategy of "waiting for the market to stabilize before acting." This prevents Apple from training next-generation AI models quickly and effectively enough.

Even when Apple began collaborating with outside companies like OpenAI and Google to integrate chatbots into Siri, rollout was delayed by months. Many features remained unstable, leading to a wave of criticism from users and experts.

The failure with Siri also reflects the reality that Apple, which has long succeeded by controlling everything from hardware to software, is struggling when entering the field of AI.

A new direction

Under pressure from the market and a series of disappointments, Apple is looking to restructure its AI strategy. Siri has now been handed over to Mike Rockwell, the man behind the success of the Vision Pro virtual reality headset. Rockwell is leading the "LLM Siri" project, a completely new version of the virtual assistant based on a large language model, aimed at replacing the current system which is considered outdated.

Apple is looking to collaborate with other AI companies to develop its ecosystem. Photo: Bloomberg .

Simultaneously, Apple is expanding its collaborations with external companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity to integrate AI generation into the iOS ecosystem. This is a rare instance where Apple has abandoned its "do everything in-house" philosophy over the past two decades. Some features, such as image creation, text summarization, and content rewriting, now utilize technology from ChatGPT instead of being developed internally.

However, many within Apple remain concerned about reliance on external partners. They argue that Apple needs to build its own chatbot to protect its control over products and user data. Currently, the company is also experimenting with the possibility of Siri accessing open web data.

Another factor driving Apple's AI expansion is the risk of losing traditional revenue streams. If Siri isn't smart enough to replace the search engine, Apple could lose $20 billion annually from its agreement to make Google the default search engine in Safari.

At the upcoming WWDC 2025, Apple may not announce many new Siri features, but instead focus on improving existing AI functions. This is seen as a strategic move to refresh Apple's AI strategy and regain user trust.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-van-be-tac-voi-ai-post1554132.html