Apple and AI

Apple made a splash on June 7. The company’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is an annual event Apple conducts for the thousands of developers who create applications for Apple’s products. When the conference is announced as open for enrollment, the available seats are sold out in about an hour because developers are thirsty to learn about the new application programming interfaces Apple introduces each year to expand the versatility and capability of their systems. The WWDC lasts for an entire week, but the most important part from a market perspective is the first two hours when the CEO and a cadre of Apple executives present the strategy and details of new product.

The two-hour keynote speeches summarize and articulate an incredible amount of complex information technology information and make it understandable by analysts and consumers. I always look forward to watching the keynote because it symbolizes near perfection in marketing. I don’t know who invented the methodology, but somewhere early in my career, I learned it: Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Apple follows this regimen with perfection and surrounds it with stunning video and graphics. No words are wasted. All the words are carefully crafted into a simplistic and easy to follow narrative that makes the beholder able to understand.

The speakers, looking like they came from central casting, show passion for the technology and enthusiasm as they explain it. I don’t know what the price of Apple stock should be, and I try not to confuse a great company and a great stock. However, from what I see, Apple has an extraordinary future. I have been saying this since the iPhone was introduced in July 2007.

Apple is not perfect, and at times even displays hubris. However, when I see their executives on stage enthusiastically demonstrating their products, I know they actually use their products, and this gives me confidence if there’s a feature that frustrates me, it probably frustrates them too, and it will likely get fixed. I don’t have the same confidence about the executives who run snack and cereal companies. I doubt if any of their top executives have ever had to open a cereal box or potato chips bag. They have not experienced the frustration of ripping the package to shreds in order to get it open. Apple walks the talk. Watch the keynote here.

Apple, although known for innovation and trendsetting, has been criticized for being late to the party in a number of areas. Some examples include smartphones with larger screens, smartwatches, flexible displays such as Samsung introduced, touchscreen laptops, virtual Reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and of course advanced artificial intelligence (AI).

Sometimes, Apple prioritizes a more polished, integrated ecosystem over being the absolute first to market. In some cases, they wait to enter a market until they believe they can deliver a product which meets their high standards and integrates seamlessly with their existing devices. That was true for the Apple Watch. They were not first but, since its initial release in 2015, Apple Watch sales have reached 229.3 million. They have more than half of the worldwide market.

When it comes to AI, no question Apple has been late to market. Siri is a form of AI and is generally considered a reliable and user-friendly virtual assistant, especially within the Apple ecosystem. However, it can sometimes fall short in accuracy and personalization compared to some competitors. Next week, I will delve into Apple’s June 7 AI announcement and attempt to explain the company’s strategy and key features it has promised.

Note: I use Gemini AI and other AI chatbots as my research assistants. AI can boost productivity for anyone who creates content. Sometimes I get incorrect data from AI, and when something looks suspicious, I dig deeper. Sometimes the data varies by sources where AI finds it. I take responsibility for my posts and if anyone spots an error, I will appreciate knowing it, and will correct it.