Apple Intelligence is 2 years behind the competition, according to Gurman, but there is something in which it has a great advantage

Even before the launch of Apple Intelligence, there were rumors that Apple might be somewhat behind in the development of artificial intelligence. Now, Mark Gurman claims that, according to some employees within the company, Apple’s artificial intelligence technology is about two years behind that of other companies, such as OpenAI or Google. However, what might seem like a weak point in Apple’s strategy hides an advantage that could give it a strong position in the future: its ability to integrate AI into its device ecosystem.

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Apple Intelligence: the beginning of Apple’s AI

Apple introduced its set of artificial intelligence features, Apple Intelligence, at the opening conference of WWDC 2024. It was the company’s first public step into the current AI boom, and while it showcased interesting tools such as AI-generated notification summaries, an enhanced Siri with personal context, and others like Image Playground and Genmoji, not all features were going to be released at the same time.

Apple’s AI solutions focus on models that run directly on devices, which requires powerful hardware (A17, M1 or higher, with at least 8GB of RAM), but at the same time limits their capability compared to cloud-based services.

Collaboration with OpenAI: a step beyond Apple Intelligence

Aware that local processing would not be sufficient at all times, Apple made a decision that marks a key difference: a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT throughout the operating system. This integration allows us to access OpenAI’s language models, such as GPT-4o, directly from Siri or through writing tools (and later from all image tools).

According to Apple’s internal studies cited by Gurman, ChatGPT is about 25% more accurate than Siri and can answer 30% more questions.

Apple’s great advantage: total integration in the ecosystem

Despite the challenges, Apple has an ace up its sleeve: the omnipresence of its AI in the Apple ecosystem. Unlike other companies that offer AI solutions as separate products or services, Apple’s strategy is fully integrated into its operating system, and therefore, in all our devices.

This deep integration in hardware and software allows Apple to maximize the performance and efficiency of its AI models, optimizing them for very specific and customized tasks, such as notification management, image recognition, or personalizing responses through Siri.

In its current state, the key to AI is its utility. Between a very powerful model that requires the use of a dedicated app or a somewhat more modest model that can, for example, automatically create a memory in Photos or improve search, the choice for many is clear. Utility comes through availability and integration.

According to Gurman, Apple’s future vision involves making Apple Intelligence available on all devices with a screen by 2026. This includes everything from the iPhone SE, which will receive the A18 chip in 2025, to all new iPads and Macs.

It is true that Apple seems to be somewhat behind in AI, but the company’s ability to completely change a market or industry is well known, even though they are almost never the first to arrive. According to Gurman himself, Apple will probably do the same with AI, whether through internal development, hiring experts, or acquiring leading companies in the field, Apple Intelligence will change the game.