Apple’s AI updates at WWDC were underwhelming. The company rolled out new software design Liquid Glass, fresh phone and camera apps, plus updates to Apple Watch and Vision Pro. But AI? Barely a blip.
Live translation is coming to Messages, FaceTime, and Phone app. Android has had this for years. Workout Buddy, a new fitness app, will use an AI-generated voice during workouts. That’s it for headline AI features.
Developers get access to Apple’s on-device large language model for third-party apps. Users can decide if data stays on-device or goes to developers. Still, no bold moves. 
Last year’s Siri AI upgrades promised at WWDC remain missing. Apple delayed release to meet quality standards.
Dipanjan Chatterjee, Forrester’s VP analyst, called Apple’s silence on Siri “deafening.”
“The topic was swiftly brushed aside to some indeterminate time next year. Apple continues to tweak its Apple Intelligence features, but no amount of text corrections or cute emojis can fill the yawning void of an intuitive, interactive AI experience,” Chatterjee wrote.
“The end of the Siri runway is coming up fast, and Apple needs to lift off.”
Apple also revealed a partnership with ChatGPT, aiming to catch up with OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. Dan Ives at Wedbush says Apple will need more deals and possibly acquisitions to boost AI efforts.
“Overall, WWDC laid out the vision for developers but was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year,” Ives said.
“We get the strategy but this is a big year ahead for Apple to monetize on the AI front, as ultimately Cook and co may be forced into doing some bigger AI acquisitions to jumpstart this AI strategy.”
Apple’s AI push this WWDC feels cautious, slow, and behind the pack. Users and analysts are watching for a bigger, faster shift.
