Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

[Unity451]

Maybe there's something to the acquisition model, afterall, Siri was an acquisition if I recall correctly.

 

[PangeaHills]

Geeks, pundits, and Wall Street are all about AI. The average user, not so much. Apple is better off with dumb Siri than slow Siri. Ever since Alexas was upgraded to use an AI backend, there's a horrible lag for responses that used to be instant. Unless this gets addressed, users will prefer dumb and fast to smart and slow.

 

[rman0726]

I am looking forward to next Christmas:

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2027​

 

[ronno]

So far behind that they are now in the lead 🏆

 

[Torty]

I don't know. Copilot works very well, even on my 3GB RAM ipadAir 3. Apple Intelligence doesn't even run on my 14PM with double that RAM.

 

[mansplains]

The pop will be ugly and it's my hope we see a lot of executives forced out. Nadella and Hood both need to be sent into low-earth orbit, as does Pichai over at Google, and Altman's needed to be fired for years.

The Bailout. Coming this Fall

 

[nt5672]

This metaphor only makes sense if Apple is trying to outrun a bear (other AI companies) which they absolutely were not, even from the start.
Even as far back as June 2024, Craig Federighi was openly saying to anyone who would listen that “Apple is *not* making a chat bot. They are not developing SiriGPT”.
He literally said that, before any of the delays, before any of the problems were publicly known, before anything.
Obviously, they were attempting to use large language models to complete some tasks within their software that they were not able to, but they were not competing with Gemini. They were not competing with OpenAI.
Meanwhile, you know where Apple is focused? Do you know where they are dramatically ahead of OpenAI by leaps and bounds?
The one thing they have been good at since 1976, hardware with in-house developed software.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is promising that they will have some type of hardware product…uh, um… some day? I think the latest reports are they hope to have their product out by late 2027? Or maybe 2028? So, you know, when we are on the iPhone 21? That’s a pretty long wait for something that is not guaranteed to be a success.

Not true at all. How many people that wanted Siri to work moved on to other hardware. Lots.

Yes, there are Apple users that will put up with anything from poor quality to delays to outright failures from Apple. But Apple's worsening software quality is making that demographic smaller and smaller each year.

Is Apple Doomed? Nope, but the doom is closing in. Apple has not had a successful "Wow" launch for a long time.

Siri failure, Car failure, AI failure, UI failure, Usability failure, Headset Failure. This throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks is not a viable long term strategy.

 

[Falco McGregor]

It's pretty generic post, but Tim Cook is pretty generic. How does one know that it's AI?

They don't. When you click through to Gruber's article he has an update on there from the AppleTV team that says the picture was commissioned from an artist.

 

[seggy]

Geeks, pundits, and Wall Street are all about AI. The average user, not so much. Apple is better off with dumb Siri than slow Siri. Ever since Alexas was upgraded to use an AI backend, there's a horrible lag for responses that used to be instant. Unless this gets addressed, users will prefer dumb and fast to smart and slow.

It's already become invisible to the average user because they rely on it without even thinking about it every day. Being in a discussion with someone who clearly got their so-called answers from slop is all too typical now.

 

[Urban Splash]

Absolute nonsense. Apple have been shambolic and continue to be. Is this a joke article?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

It's already become invisible to the average user because they rely on it without even thinking about it every day. Being in a discussion with someone who clearly got their so-called answers from slop is all too typical now.

Online, perhaps. I don't see this at all when speaking to people in person.

 

[Pedersenko]

In 2026, when ppl will realize that AI is a scam for 80%, Apple will claim they knew it all along 🤣😂😭

 

[Ctrlos]

The tech press and commentary need to take a step back.

Did Apple develop an LLM? No.

Did Apple develop a search engine? No.

Do Apple run cloud servers for corporate clients? No.

Did Apple create a non music-based social network? No.

Did Apple ever develop a 21st Century games console? No.

Has any of this been a detriment to the users or its place in the market? No.

 

[JoeDownUnder]

Apple's only mistake with AI was adding Apple Intelligence before it was ready.

Apple will do what they've always done, they weren't the first desktop, but make the best ones, they weren't the first mp3 players but made the iPod, not the first smart phones but reinvented the world with iPhones, etc.

Apple's brand isn't 'AI Slop' - they don't do slop, they'll ship it when it's ready and cohesively fits within their ecosystem.

They don't do slop...but shipped it before it was ready ??

 

[GertjeD]

The idea that Apple’s slowness absence in AI could turn out a blessing in disguise is interesting.
But calling it ‘Apple’s cautious strategy’ is hilarious!

 

[hpucker99]

Wow, an updated Siri? Finally leaving beta testing?

 

[citysnaps]

Or it could continue to flounder and flop?

Of course. That's the instant go-to prediction here for all newly released Apple products and services. iPod, iPhone, Apple tablet, Watch, etc come to mind.

Somehow Apple seems to be doing a good job of winging it with their 1+ Billion active and repeat customers, propelling Apple to becoming one of the most successful consumer tech companies in the world.

 

[MacATDBB]

Apple has an AI strategy?

 

[CarAnalogy]

Yes old Siri used phrase pattern matching. It's basically voice controlled Zork on steroids.

But let's be careful when we say people want an LLM powered Siri. More carefully described, they want the LLM-powered Siri that was promised. Constraints on the technology, both technical and financial, will never deliver that Siri. Every single day that becomes more evident.

If we strip this back from the "hit everything with the LLM hammer" technology fad, what people really want is a better interface for their technology. They screwed up the already inadequate one quite seriously (liquid glass).

Nothing has improved anywhere in the last 3 years.

Zork on steroids. It even tried to autocorrect that to Siri. Love it.

 

[Parowdy]

Tim Cook posting AI slop to promote Apple TV is pretty embarrassing.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2003873311504130173

Tim Cook Posts AI Slop in Christmas Message on Twitter/X, Ostensibly to Promote ‘Pluribus’

Link to: https://x.com/tim_cook/status/2003873311504130173

daringfireball.net

What kind of logic do they follow in Cupertino?
First they completely go all in on their new Apple TV animation, and then the CEO posts AI slob.
For the same service.
Unreal.

 

[Parowdy]

Apple has an AI strategy?

Yes.
Step one: fail the rollout of most advertised AI features
Step two: release an ecosystem wide aesthetic update with many bugs so people complain about that while you try to get step one sorted
Step three: fix anyOS 26 (especially macOS) before June 2026 I hope

 

[AlanBeyond]

Apple's only mistake with AI was adding Apple Intelligence before it was ready.

Apple will do what they've always done, they weren't the first desktop, but make the best ones, they weren't the first mp3 players but made the iPod, not the first smart phones but reinvented the world with iPhones, etc.

Apple's brand isn't 'AI Slop' - they don't do slop, they'll ship it when it's ready and cohesively fits within their ecosystem.

I hope this time you were right.

 

[unchecked]

The idea that Apple’s slowness absence in AI could turn out a blessing in disguise is interesting.
But calling it ‘Apple’s cautious strategy’ is hilarious!

Yep. They’ve conveniently swept Apple Intelligence under the rug and we forgot they rushed to its announcement. They wanted to be seen as trying. They wanted to jump on the bandwagon. Trying to credit the slowness as a strategy is a big far stretch.

 

[MS2]

As an apple user I'm glad to hear the total lack of modern AI features prevented the stock to dip. Don't worry the thing that will replace everyone is probably just a bubble like the internet. Media interpretation remains amazing ...

 

[MS2]

What apple means in general they use parts of their trillions to buy the tech from others so they remain 5% better than the competition.