Apple has the chance to launch a killer AI system, and failing could mean the company is really doomed.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
If I had to think of ways to make Apple’s AI efforts look even worse than they do now, I’d probably start with a chatbot app in the vein of ChatGPT. That is arguably the easiest way for Apple to demonstrate how far behind it is on its belated AI journey.
But, lo and behold, a new report claims that Apple is developing a chatbot app based on the same technology that should power the infamous new Siri. The app is named Veritas and, thankfully, is only used for internal testing of Siri’s new functions.
Apple has failed to fulfill its Apple Intelligence promises, and fortunately, it seems to be aware that clashing with ChatGPT would be a bad idea. The company has previously expressed doubts about chatbots in public, and apparently doesn’t have plans to release Veritas to the public. For now.
For Apple’s own good, it would be best never to release it. This is a make-or-break moment for the company, and choosing the right form of AI is so critical that it could shape its future.
ChatGPT is too far ahead in the wrong direction
ChatGPT launched three years ago, and it’s been the leading AI app ever since. People love it so much that they’re getting weirdly attached to it. That was made painfully obvious when OpenAI released GPT-5 and abruptly cut access to its older models. The initial reaction was a wave of complaints from users who felt like they’d lost someone close, not just a software.
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It doesn’t matter if you see that as a worrisome expression of our dystopian future or proof of OpenAI’s success. That’s a sign of how far ahead ChatGPT is. Despite that success, the chatbot barely goes beyond the basic exchange of messages. That’s why OpenAI is focused on developing new features, but most of them aren’t anything groundbreaking.
The company’s latest announcement was for ChatGPT Pulse, which could be described as a smarter Google Now. Advanced voice mode is ChatGPT’s best current feature, but it’s just an upgrade on the ideas Apple has been pursuing with Siri for over a decade. Chatting with a hallucinating AI is OpenAI’s best offer, but that’s not the next big thing for Apple.
What people want from Apple is more than a hallucinating chatbot
I enjoy using ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode because it feels like talking with a weird, helpful person. It understands me in all three languages I speak, and allows me to mix them. Siri, on the other hand, feels like a broken robot that doesn’t even understand me half the time. What people want from Apple is for Siri to understand them as well as ChatGPT and do phone things in a way no third-party app can.
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Pulse is a good idea, but I’d have to give ChatGPT access to my email and calendar for it to function, and I bet it won’t be as good as I’d like it to be. Apple already has my mail, calendar, most of my browsing history, knowledge about the apps I use, when I go to bed, and various other details about my life. I want Apple Intelligence to use all that data and give me a “Pulse” that I could customize. I bet many other people would love that as well.
Siri should also do the things Perplexity does well. I live in a foreign country, and I often don’t understand the full context of the local news, so I ask Perplexity to fill me in on the details. Its answers are concise, helpful, and accompanied by links for further reading and fact-checking. I’d prefer for Siri to do that instead of a third-party app.
What do you want from Apple Intelligence?
A chatbot app Just to make Siri understand me A complete AI assistant that I can customize An AI tool to answer my questions Something else, I’ll tell you in the comments
A chatbot app
0%
Just to make Siri understand me
0%
A complete AI assistant that I can customize
0%
An AI tool to answer my questions
0%
Something else, I’ll tell you in the comments
0%
Nobody wants Apple Intelligence to be another chatbot or to help them code. There are other apps for that, and they can thrive on Apple’s platforms. None of them, not even Gemini and Galaxy AI, can do the phone things people expect from Siri and Apple Intelligence. That’s an issue, but also an opportunity for Apple.
Apple’s days could be numbered if something doesn’t change
Apple has gotten away with Siri’s dire state because, until recently, nobody cared much about voice assistants. ChatGPT, the AI boom, and Google’s Gemini are changing this, which means trouble for Apple.
I’m tempted to join the chorus of critics who say that Apple is so behind in AI that there’s no chance of recovery, but none of the smartphone companies are so far ahead in terms of practical, useful, and enticing AI features. Google fans might disagree, but Gemini is also not there. It’s much closer than anything else, though.
That’s where Apple’s chance is. The company has its infamous walled garden, the most popular smartphone in the world, and the basic features that everyone else is improving. From that fertile ground, Apple could elevate the iPhone and launch the killer AI system, which is more than just an app. The stakes are high, though. Making it could secure Apple’s future, but failing to seize the moment could mean that, yes, Apple really is doomed.
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