WWDC: Did Apple make the AI grade this year?

Apple at its Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday unveiled a suite of new AI features, including a significantly upgraded Siri and embedded Apple Intelligence across its platforms, aiming to reassure users and investors that it has met the competitive challenge posed by artificial intelligence. The company introduced tools focused on contextual awareness, privacy-by-design large language models, and vision intelligence, while also confirming it worked with Google Gemini to build its own models rather than using a white-label version. Analysts said Apple succeeded in introducing enough competitive tools to keep pace with rivals, though it did not announce any industry-transforming AI breakthroughs.

There were several key components to emerge from Apple’s developer conference Monday as the company sought to reassure users and investors that it has met the existential challenge represented by AI. Aside from a serious focus on Siri AI and embedded Apple Intelligence across its varied platforms, officials also hailed a slew of performance/usability tweaks, described new child safety tools, gave macOS 27 a real name, “Golden Gate” — and offered a standing ovation in farewell to outgoing CEO Tim Cook. Before the Worldwide Developer Conference WWDC , analysts seemed optimistic about the company’s plans https://www.computerworld.com/article/4182387/wwdc-apples-ai-moment-of-truth-arrives.html , most of which had already leaked. Analysts didn’t expect Apple to announce anything that would transform the AI industry it didn’t , but they did hope the company would introduce tools to keep it competitive with rivals it did . That’s assuming all the demos at the event were live, actual feature demos, rather than faked set-ups as seen before. Apple’s teams have evidently worked incredibly hard to come this far, and execs did introduce truly impressive new AI features focused on what customers and developers actually need. The company also played to its strengths, particularly around vision intelligence; private-by-design large language models LLMs; highly useful contextual awareness; and Siri AI, which works as an app and lets you carry on conversational quests securely across all your Apple devices. As anticipated, Apple also introduced APIs developers will be able to use to provide new AI features in their apps. Among the many individual tools most of us can expect to use this fall, are: Apple did not seek to introduce AI features for their own sake; instead, it remains deeply focused on how to make its devices more useful to customers. As Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said: “Truly helpful AI must be centered on our users’ needs, deeply integrated into the products they rely on every day, grounded in personal context, and built with privacy at every step. That is our vision for Apple Intelligence. With useful features for browsing the web, expressing creativity, editing photos, and so much more, today marks a big step forward on our journey to integrate powerful AI into the core of our platforms and make our products even more personal and useful.” Apple confirmed that it worked with Google Gemini to create some of the AI models highlighted today. This led some analysts before the event to say https://www.heygotrade.com/en/blog/apple-google-gemini-deal-aapl-googl-stock/ : “For Apple, the bull case is that a working Siri reframes it as an AI winner; the bear case is that paying a rival for core intelligence caps the premium investors assign to the stock.” Perhaps they need not worry, as what we now seem to have is a far more solid base from which to continue to develop AI services and tools that compete against others in the space. Not only that, but Apple is not using rebranded Gemini — it simply worked with Google to build its own models, as Federighi insisted https://x.com/benbajarin/status/2064065037556490673?s=61 . In meetings at the show https://x.com/BenBajarin/status/2064063020297588843?s=20 , Apple explained the full extent of the work it did with Google, stressing that none of the new features should be considered white label versions of Google’s LLMs. Even Apple’s new search tools are based on its own search database, rather than anybody else’s. And when advanced searches are shared with Google-hosted Nvidia processors, Apple puts privacy protection in place. In the end, the most important consideration — for customers and developers — is that Apple seems to have succeeded in bringing dozens and dozens of powerful new on-device AI tools to its customers, giving it a firmer, more impressive peer position in the business. It’s also true that investors were disappointed that the new AI features won’t be made available in Europe or China due to regulatory challenges https://www.applemust.com/eu-regulators-just-killed-europes-ios-developer-industry/ , putting developers in both nations at a disadvantage. Developers elsewhere will be able to explore Apple’s Foundation Models and its new Core AI APIs to their heart’s content. While Apple’s stock value dipped as investors sold on the news and invested into the speculation, I do think Apple successfully turned this corner — though it will need to continue to invest heavily in AI across its platforms. The work is far from over. “It is great to see Apple continue to pursue a vision of AI that leverages local systems, preserves privacy, and integrates with third party tools,” Ken Case, CEO of the Omni Group, told me. “A lot of our work around the Apple Foundation Models and automation, App Intents, and adopting Swift look to be fruitful investments, but it’s clear there’s more to do starting this summer.” Creative Strategies President and Principal Analyst Carolina Milanesi explained why it matters Apple is deploying these capabilities across its ecosystem https://x.com/BloombergTV/status/2064055984658567466?s=20 , as it gives the company a unique market position. “Where Apple Intelligence is today is different than what Claude or ChatGPT are because is it really embedded in the devices, and we need to remember that Apple sells devices,” she said. Apple did also note that the new Siri AI will be available in beta this year. “Investors wanted it in September. That means the real version is likely early to mid 2027,” said Gene Munster https://x.com/munster gene/status/2064048017796190571?s=20 at Deepwater Asset Management. “Funny that the stock actually ticked up 0.5% on the “beta later this year” update given that while it’s later than what they wanted, it is at least a date that investors can focus on.” It is also true that what Apple did achieve this year at WWDC is to offer up a set of new AI features that investors already see as having significant value. You can follow me on social media Join me on BlueSky, LinkedIn, Mastodon and The Core.