As high-tech vendors scream to prove themselves as the next winner of the AI race, Apple's overwhelming response in generative AI technology has generated mixed estimates about what lies behind iPhone makers.
An update to Apple Intelligence, a participant at Generative AI (Genai) Consumer Tech Giant, was particularly missing at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 Developer Conference last month. Meanwhile, Apple has delayed new features in Apple Intelligence until March 2026.
Additionally, social media giant Meta recently poached three Apple AI researchers, leaving several holes in Apple's talent pool.
However, Apple has reported that it may be considering purchasing the AI search vendor confusion and 2026 improvements to 14-year-old digital assistant Siri Smarter.
Better Siri
Discussions about the confusion after the CEO says he is not interested in selling the company anymore seem likely, but Apple may be what it takes to revamp its AI strategy and keep AI technology up to date.
“For everyday users, this could mean a useful version of Siri,” said Dan Gardner, co-founder of Code and Theory, a digital and creative agency. “Siri isn't just a problem because it's far less powerful than other voice-driven AI tools. It also failed to meet Apple Intelligence Marketing's promise of better integration across the app ecosystem.”
Apple says it has introduced several new Siri features since launching iOS 18, which includes many Apple Intelligence features. Some features include Siri from type to natural voice, and the ability Siri to follow when the user trips a word. The iPhone maker also says it needs more time to complete work on features, such as adapting SIRI to the user's personal context, allowing SIRI to act like an agent and perform user actions within and between apps.
However, with the acquisition of Genai vendors like Perplexity, Apple could return to serious Genai conversations with Openai and Google. This is because it helps iPhone makers not only provide raw intelligence, but also the best AI experience for everyday users.
“Most of the world thinks it's about building a bigger model, but the hidden race is who owns the next consumer and attention economy,” he said.
Apple offers that promise
The acquisitions will also help prove that Apple maintains its promises about its intention to develop AI technologies and restore faith in its ability to realize those promises.
Chirag Shah, professor at the Information School at Washington University in Seattle, said: “They need to take a step in the right direction.”
He can follow the patterns seen in other major technology vendors such as Microsoft and AWS, he added. This pattern is partnering or investing with companies using the technology instead of creating the technology itself.
“For large companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and more, it's too dangerous to do what humanity, Openai, or many of these small startups can do. That's one of the benefits of confusion,” Shah said.
Moreover, AI technology is not a field where the tech giants make big profits. Many of them spend more than they make with AI.
“They have to move very carefully,” he said. “They know this is the future, this is what people want, but will they put everything else at risk for that? The answer is usually no.”
For Apple, iPhone makers are eager to focus on privacy, and most models that have fully discovered Apple Intelligence are seen in Apple in full.
It means that it's behind
Plus, there are still questions as to whether Apple really lags behind AI technology.
The iPhone maker has released several Apple Intelligence features, including image playground, visual intelligence, live translation, natural language search, image cleanup, and connection to CHATGPT.
They are definitely behind in terms of hype.
David NicholsonAnalyst, Futurum Group
“They are definitely behind in terms of hype,” said David Nicholson, an analyst at Futurum Group. “They are definitely behind in terms of their messaging, but I don't think it's a problem that in terms of what people are offering and the value people get out of what Apple has to offer over the long term, I don't seem to be announcing things at the speed they are today, in a year or two.”
Apple's advantages in consumer devices lie in data such as user photos, calendars, emails, content, interactions via iPhone, desktop, iPad, and smartwatch.
“Managing data across that universe is something people have to do to get solid use of generative AI, let alone agent AI,” Nicholson said. “The real victory is when Apple understands how to put pieces together in the backend through most acquisitions.”
Nicholson said that part of Apple's business approach is part of Apple's business approach. Services like iTunes and Siri, for example, began as an integrated acquisition by Apple.
For Apple, the main purpose is to make Siri smarter, which could be entangled, humanitarian, and technology from vendors like Openai.
“The ultimate goal is to allow us to do the kind of generative things we're used to when we interact with Siri directly,” Nicholson said.
“In a not too distant future, you'll say, 'Hey, shiri'. And she will be able to run Agent AI's stuff on your behalf,” he continued. “Its Agent AI will have a secure, walled garden approach that will allow all information to be accessed in such a way that its Agent AI will be effective for the billion users around the globe.”
Apple is known for its focus on privacy and security, and is achieved by keeping users of Apple products only within the Apple ecosystem.
And they are not the only vendor behind integrating Genai into its platform.
For example, Amazon Alexa has not evolved from a Genai technology perspective either. However, Amazon made some notable updates to Alexa in February, providing overviews, making appointments, managing calendars, and sending or receiving emails.
“We need to put in place a way that will allow a lot of infrastructure to come to expect what these other LLMs can do before we can make it available as a real digital assistant,” he said.
“There is a lot of real pressure on Apple, but over time, [Apple’s lagging pace in GenAI] He continued.
Esther Shittu is an Informa TechTarget News Writer and Podcast host that covers AI software and systems.
