May 19 2025 – In a new in-depth report released today concerning Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman delves into a number of strategic missteps that have marked the rollout of Apple Intelligence.
According to Gurman, it’s highly unlikely that Apple will dedicate a significant portion of this year’s WWDC to discussing Siri. This includes future enhancements as well as features that were announced at last year’s WWDC but have since been postponed.
In essence, the report suggests that Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, has significant reservations about artificial intelligence. He has expressed “hesitance” about the substantial investment in this technology and does not view it as a “core competency.” From Federighi’s perspective, it diverts attention from other critical tasks without yielding substantial returns. However, this concern isn’t isolated to Federighi alone:
The report further indicates that other members of the management team share Federighi’s apprehensions. “In the world of AI, you don’t really know what the product is until you’ve already invested,” remarked another long-standing executive. “That’s not Apple’s style. Apple develops products with a clear understanding of the end goal.”
Additionally, the report claims that while other executives are “convinced” that AI will be “revolutionary,” they have been unable to sway Federighi, who appears to be “unreceptive” to many of their ideas.
Moreover, the report alleges that John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief, has never truly been able to hit the ground running. Upon joining Apple, he concluded that the company needed more funding than it currently had. However, his efforts have “often been stymied.”
According to Gurman, at next month’s WWDC 2025, Apple will announce iOS 19 and more:
Siri is set to receive a major upgrade – including those promised last year – but it’s unlikely to be discussed extensively at WWDC, with the release still several months away.
The report also states that Apple plans to integrate more Apple Intelligence features into other applications and introduce an AI-driven battery optimization tool. Additionally, the company is planning to launch Project Mulberry, a virtual health coach.
Sources within Apple indicate that despite high hopes for LLM Siri, the company is also preparing to separate the Apple Intelligence brand from Siri in its marketing efforts. This is a tacit acknowledgment that the voice assistant’s poor reputation is tarnishing the company’s AI image.
It’s worth noting that the report also mentions Apple’s intention to stop announcing new features months before they are ready for release.
