Apple is in “early discussions” with Google to license its Gemini AI mannequin for Siri. Learn that once more. That is Apple—the tech large that used to outline innovation—now going hat in hand to borrow Google’s AI mind simply to maintain Siri alive. I ought to be shocked. As a substitute, I’m simply drained.
The AirPower Template: Promote the Dream, Not the Product
We’ve seen this play earlier than. Again in 2017, Apple introduced AirPower, the magical charging mat that will allow you to drop your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods anyplace on its floor and watch them cost in concord. Apple went additional than simply unveiling an idea: they actively positioned AirPower as the wi-fi charger to attend for. “Don’t purchase the opposite ones,” was the message. “Ours is coming, and will probably be the perfect ever.
Opponents had been already transport purposeful wi-fi chargers. However Apple didn’t need to lose early market share. So as a substitute of matching product with product, Apple matched product with promise.
Folks held off shopping for different chargers, trusting that Apple’s would quickly arrive. Besides it by no means did. By 2019, AirPower was quietly canceled, with Apple admitting it couldn’t clear up the engineering and overheating issues.
That’s been Apple’s playbook previously decade: stall the market with advertising and marketing till opponents lose their momentum, then both present up late or under no circumstances.
Apple Intelligence, Identical Story
Quick-forward to 2024. AI explodes into the mainstream. ChatGPT rewires workflows. Google pushes Gemini throughout its merchandise. Microsoft bakes Copilot into Workplace. However Apple steps onstage at WWDC and says: Don’t put money into the others. Don’t begin constructing your AI workflows but. As a result of Apple Intelligence is coming—and it’ll be higher.
They offered a imaginative and prescient of a wiser Siri that would deal with multi-step duties and totally combine into your Apple gadgets. Adverts actually carried the phrases “Obtainable now.
The “Intelligence” We Really Obtained
Of all of the issues Apple Intelligence may have delivered, what did we really get? A ridiculous emoji and picture generator. Attempt the Playground app for greater than a minute and your $1,200 iPhone 16 Professional Max will begin overheating. That’s the slicing fringe of Apple AI: unstable emoji doodles.
In the meantime, the Siri improve was really a step backward. Outdated Siri, for all its clumsiness, may not less than look issues up. New Siri punts the request to ChatGPT.
So after years of telling prospects, “Don’t use different AIs, ours is coming,” Apple’s AI turned out to be… the very different AI. And now, barely a 12 months later, they’re quietly shifting away from ChatGPT to speak with Google about Gemini. It’s offensive.
There Is Dignity in Saying No
Apple may have chosen dignity. They might have stated, “We’re not chasing AI—we’ll concentrate on what we do finest.” They might have opted out, as they as soon as did with netbooks, with Flash, even with 5G, till the tech matured. However as a substitute, they offered vapor.
Apple stated do not buy different chargers and by no means shipped AirPower. Apple stated do not use different AIs and gave us ChatGPT duct-taped into Siri. And now they’re whispering about Google Gemini prefer it’s the cavalry.
If Apple had merely admitted it wasn’t prepared for AI, it might have regarded cautious, even principled. As a substitute, it appears misplaced.
Apple at this time feels much less like an innovator and extra like a enterprise firm. It’s optimized for margins, lock-in, and lawsuits, not for daring engineering. AirPower was the canary. Apple Intelligence is the collapse. And Siri—Siri is the punchline.
The corporate that when redefined private computing, telephones, and tablets is now begging opponents for AI fashions whereas hoping its prospects received’t discover the bait-and-switch.
We observed. And we’re upset.
