We feel that the launch is fast approaching. When launching the iPhone 16 range without the expected AI features (and presented last June), Apple faced a lot of criticism. To explain the delay in Apple Intelligence, Craig Federighi answered questions from Joanna Stern of Wall Street Journal. He even talked about the future of Siri.
The reasons for the Apple Intelligence delay
To begin, the senior vice president of software engineering clarified that Apple is not looking to imitate existing AI models like ChatGPT. The company’s goal is to create an integrated and personalized AI experience for each user.
We didn’t want to just create another chatbot. Our goal is to create intelligence that knows you, that is personal. Other chatbots are powerful but know nothing about you. For us, true power lies in intelligence that understands you while respecting your privacy.
He stressed that privacy is paramount because Apple Intelligence works with data stored on the user’s device, most of the time. Apple’s approach relies on local processing on the device combined with a secure private cloud, ensuring that processed information remains confidential and is not retained after the task is completed.
For example, if Apple Intelligence is used to summarize a document, the task is performed using encrypted communication with Apple’s servers, which do not retain any information after completion.
Federighi also explained that Apple is not looking to launch all the features at once, but is taking a long-term approach, especially so as not to risk a major problem.
We see Apple Intelligence as a technology that will evolve not just over years, but over decades. We want to make sure each feature is ready before we launch it.
The future of Siri
Asked when Siri will finally become a truly intelligent assistant, Federighi asserted that there is no specific time when Siri will be “complete.”
Siri’s journey is constantly evolving. Although Siri is already useful today, it is constantly improving. Apple Intelligence and advanced language models allow Siri to better understand users and access more tools on their devices.
He added that improvements to Siri will come in waves over the next year, as Apple Intelligence gradually builds out its capabilities. Let us also remember that Tim Cook had already mentioned the fact that Americans would be served first, followed by English-speaking countries, then by France and a few other countries. The fourth wave has not been announced.
Apple’s AI launches next week, with iOS 18.1. Although we will not have access to it at first, the update contains other new features such as call recording.
You can watch the full interview below:
