In a surprising development, Apple has announced that several of its highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features will face delays, with some not arriving until 2025. This news comes just days after the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, where the tech giant unveiled a suite of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for its operating systems. According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, these features, particularly those involving Siri, will not be available when iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia are released later this year.
Delays in AI Feature Rollout
Gurman’s Power On newsletter indicates that Apple is taking a staggered approach to deploying its new AI features. The first developer beta versions of the operating systems lack several key AI capabilities, suggesting that these features will not be ready for the initial public release. This strategy aims to allow developers ample time to integrate the new AI experiences into their apps.
Apple’s plan involves releasing some of these AI features in preview mode initially, granting access to a select group of users before a wider rollout. This method is expected to help the company manage its resources more efficiently, avoid overwhelming its staff, and ensure the quality of the features. Additionally, the extra time will be used to address potential issues, such as AI hallucinations, where chatbots might provide nonsensical responses.
Global Challenges and Partnerships
One of the significant challenges Apple faces is training its AI to function effectively in different global languages. Additionally, the company is focused on building out its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure to support these advanced features. Apple is also seeking partnerships with third-party AI chatbot creators, including discussions with Google for its Gemini AI and with Anthropic for Claude AI. In China, Apple aims to collaborate with Baidu and Alibaba to integrate their AI solutions.
Expected AI Features for Late 2024
While many features are delayed, some AI capabilities are still set to arrive later this year. The Mail app, for instance, will gain the ability to categorize emails into different tabs such as newsletters, announcements, and shopping. Another feature, Swift Assist, a cloud-based AI programming companion for Xcode, will also be available by the end of the year.
However, some non-AI features will also miss the initial release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. These include the Mac Virtual Display on Vision Pro, simultaneous live sports streaming in the Apple TV app, and enhanced Home app support for controlling vacuum cleaners and monitoring home electricity usage.
AI Features Expected in 2025
According to Gurman, most of Siri’s new AI capabilities will not be available until 2025. These features include contextual awareness and natural language responses, semantic indexing for better understanding on-device content and personal data, integration with native apps, and computer vision to read the currently open screen.
Despite these delays, several Apple Intelligence features will still debut with the upcoming operating systems’ first general release. Users can look forward to AI-powered prioritized notifications, AI summarizing of webpages, voice memos, meeting notes, and emails. Additionally, systemwide Writing Tools, image generation, and the custom AI emoji creator Genmoji will be available.
While the delay in the rollout of some Apple Intelligence features is disappointing, the staggered deployment strategy is designed to ensure quality and manage resources effectively. Apple remains committed to enhancing its AI capabilities, promising a more refined and powerful user experience in the coming years.
