Think Different? The AI Race Apple Might Be Losing

For years, Apple has played the long game.

They weren’t the first to launch a smartphone. Or a smartwatch. Or wireless earbuds.
But when they did, they redefined the category.
That’s the Apple playbook. Slow, methodical, and ultimately, dominant.

But AI is different… or is it?

And for the first time in a long time, Apple is… late?
Apple introduced Siri – the first mass-market AI voice assistant – in 2011. 
It was a “game-changer” (hate that phrase) at the time, but fast forward 14 years, and Siri has become a punchline. 
A relic of a voice assistant that never evolved, stuck responding to basic commands while OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Amazon’s new Alexa+ feel borderline human.
Apple’s AI effort, branded Apple Intelligence, has been… underwhelming. 
Auto-sorting emails, voicemail transcriptions, and Genmojis (AI-generated emojis) are nice-to-have features, but they’re not revolutionary. 
They don’t compel anyone to upgrade their iPhone. 
And according to internal data, most Apple users aren’t even using them.

AI is supposed to change how we interact with technology. 

So far, Apple has delivered the equivalent of software updates.
Is this just a lag… or a crisis?
Bloomberg’s latest reporting says that the company’s internal AI models are already hitting their limits, competitors are poaching top AI talent, and leadership is struggling to define a path forward.

Apple’s grand AI reboot? 

It might not arrive until iOS 20 in 2027.
A half-decade behind OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. 
In these times, that’s not just a gap… it’s an abyss.
Amazon’s Alexa+ just debuted, and those who’ve seen it say it feels like watching the first ChatGPT demo – this is going to change everything. 

Here’s my semi-contrarian/semi-serious take: Maybe Apple doesn’t need to win AI?

The company has always been about tight integration – hardware, software, and services working seamlessly together. 
Siri might be a current embarrassment, but Apple’s ecosystem still dominates.
If every app and tool we use eventually has AI built in, does Apple really need to develop its own?
Or does Apple just need to make sure AI works within its walled garden?
Apple is investing $500 billion in the U.S. alone.

And, in all seriousness, Apple does need an AI breakthrough that keeps it from looking like a dinosaur/hardware provider.

Apple is at an AI crossroads.
If they keep moving slowly, carefully, deliberately – like they always have – they might get AI right eventually.
But if they don’t speed up, they risk becoming a follower, not a leader. 

Either Apple proves they belong in AI or they fade into the background while OpenAI, Google, and Amazon define the next era of computing.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

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