Uncertainty surrounds Apple's secretive AI chatbot project, despite its potential triumph.
Apple, the tech giant known for its innovative products, is making significant strides in its artificial intelligence (AI) efforts. The brand name for these endeavours is Apple Intelligence, and the company has been investing heavily to embed AI capabilities across its devices and platforms.
According to reports, Apple is focusing on evolving its virtual assistant, Siri, with a new large language model (LLM) architecture. This development is expected to make Siri more personalized and conversational. Key features of this evolution are anticipated to be available next year, rather than specifically with the iPhone 17, which is expected to be released in the near future.
The rollout of Apple Intelligence has, however, faced some challenges. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported on the difficulties encountered in integrating Siri's legacy code with the AI ambitions. Despite these hurdles, there is no zero confidence that Apple Intelligence will be fully ready by September 2025, especially considering the iOS 26 beta updates.
Apple has been criticized for its slow progress in AI development compared to its tech rivals. To accelerate its AI roadmap, the company is reportedly open to acquiring generative AI companies, such as OpenAI, Perplexity, or Anthropic. However, no large AI acquisition has happened yet, which some analysts interpret as a sign of confidence in Apple's internal AI progress rather than dependence on external purchases.
Infrastructure-wise, Apple is advancing its AI capabilities through the build-out of specialized server manufacturing and data center expansions in the U.S. A new facility in Houston is producing advanced servers designed to power "Apple Intelligence" and private cloud AI computing with strong security and Apple silicon technology.
Despite these investments, Apple's internal AI efforts since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 have been slow, quiet, and underwhelming. The initial launch of Apple Intelligence, which debuted with the iPhone 16 in 2024, was met with mixed reviews, with some finding the AI tools under-developed and limited in practice.
The iPhone 17, due for release soon, is expected to introduce improved AI-powered Siri and deeper integration of Apple Intelligence. However, detailed official announcements regarding the expected features remain pending.
In conclusion, Apple's AI efforts are currently focused on significantly growing investments in AI and embedding AI capabilities across its devices and platforms. While the company has not yet released major generative AI products comparable to market leaders like OpenAI or Anthropic, it is making progress and is supported by strong financial and infrastructure investments. Landing a competitive AI product is one of Apple's current major challenges.
- Apple's AI efforts, as part of the Apple Intelligence initiative, are attempting to enhance Siri with a new large language model (LLM) architecture, aiming to make the virtual assistant more personalized and conversational.
- To boost its AI development and potentially rival market leaders like OpenAI or Anthropic, Apple is reportedly considering acquisitions of generative AI companies such as OpenAI, Perplexity, or Anthropic.
