The Botched AI Reveal and the Lesson Apple (Almost) Missed
A few months ago, Apple held a splashy event to unveil its vision for artificial intelligence. The promise was bold: a smarter Siri, capable of understanding complex requests, summarizing messages, and even anticipating needs. But weeks later, the company indefinitely delayed those features. Meanwhile, the few AI tools that did make it to iPhones—like auto-generated text summaries—have been, at best, underwhelming.
The tech press pounced: “Apple is falling behind in the AI race.” And yes, Apple made a rare misstep—announcing something before it was ready. But there’s a bigger story here, one that goes beyond a simple delay and touches on a critical question: Why are we so obsessed with shoving half-baked AI into everything, even when it doesn’t work well yet?
Wall Street’s Pressure and the Elusive “Super Cycle”
Apple isn’t pushing AI because consumers are demanding it. It’s doing it because Wall Street expects it.
For years, investors have been waiting for another “super cycle”—a wave of upgrades driven by a must-have innovation, like the original iPhone or the App Store. The hope was that AI would be that catalyst. But so far, no tech giant has delivered a truly game-changing use case for everyday users.
Google launched Gemini, but its bizarre errors became instant memes. Meta flooded Facebook and Instagram with awkward chatbots. Microsoft baked Copilot into Windows, but most people still don’t know what to do with it. And Amazon? Its AI assistants still glitch when trying to play a simple song.
In this context, Apple messed up by overpromising. But unlike its rivals, it seems willing to course-correct—even if that means disappointing shareholders.
“AI Never Fails—We Just Fail at Using It”
A strange mindset has taken hold in the AI debate: the idea that AI itself is flawless, and if something goes wrong, it’s the user’s fault.
New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose summed it up on a recent Hard Fork podcast episode. He argued that Apple is being too cautious:
“When you’re building products with generative AI, you have to get comfortable with mistakes, with rough edges.”
But that logic is dangerous. If a virtual assistant gets a flight time wrong, you could miss an important trip. If an AI summary misreads a text, you might act on bad information. Apple knows this—and that’s why it refuses to release features until they actually work.
The truth? Nobody wants an assistant that’s “mostly right.” We want one that’s reliable. And unlike many of its competitors, Apple still seems to care about that.
Why Apple Can (and Should) Wait
Some argue the company is wasting time. After all, Google and OpenAI are shipping new AI tools constantly. But what’s the result?
- Google’s Gemini once suggested putting tape on your face to avoid traffic tickets.
- OpenAI’s ChatGPT regularly makes up fake quotes and sources.
- Microsoft’s Copilot has drafted nonsensical emails.
Meanwhile, Apple sticks to its core principles: privacy, usability, and reliability first.
It’s easy to forget, but Apple isn’t just a software company. Its products are physical devices people rely on for important things—communication, work, even health. A glitchy chatbot is funny. A glitchy iPhone could have real consequences.
The Future of AI: Less Hype, More Substance
The lesson here isn’t that AI is useless. It has enormous potential. But we need to stop treating it like a race where the first one to launch wins.
Is Apple behind? Maybe. But it might also be the only one playing the long game. While rivals rush out half-baked features in the name of hype, Apple—even with its recent stumbles—still seems to remember that good design isn’t about being first. It’s about being best.
And at the end of the day, that’s what actually matters to the people using this tech in real life.
