Apple's AI Woes: Why Siri Upgrades Are on Standby for WWDC 2023

Apple's AI Strategy and Siri Upgrades:

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has outlined several strategic failures in Apple’s AI initiatives, particularly surrounding the launch of Apple Intelligence. Key points include:

• Leadership Skepticism: Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, was reluctant to invest heavily in AI, viewing it as a less critical capability compared to other projects.
• Lack of Vision: Other executives shared similar reservations, leading to underinvestment in AI despite some recognizing its potential.
• Struggles with Leadership: John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, faced challenges in securing the necessary resources and investment for robust AI development.

WWDC 2023 Expectations:

• Siri Updates Limited: Significant upgrades to Siri, including those promised last year, are unlikely to be discussed much at the upcoming WWDC. These updates are still months away from shipping.
• Future Plans: Apple is working on integrating AI into other apps and developing a battery optimization tool powered by AI. The company also plans to launch Project Mulberry, a virtual health coach.
• Third-Party Voice Assistants: In the European Union, users will have the option to use third-party voice assistants instead of Siri.
• LLM Siri Infrastructure: Apple is developing a new infrastructure for Siri based on large language models (LLMs) to address engineering issues and improve performance. However, the company plans to market Siri separately from its broader AI efforts in an attempt to improve its reputation.

Marketing and Feature Management:

• Marketing Strategy: Apple aims to separate Siri from its overall AI brand to avoid touting features too far ahead of their launch dates, which has previously led to delays and negative perceptions.