Apple lost the AI race: now the interesting part begins

Siri, are you there? It's me, Gemini. It sounds like the opening of a new chapter in Apple's story, one in which the company admits it is behind in the artificial intelligence race. Building Google's Gemini models into the long-awaited Siri update is, undeniably, an acknowledgment that Apple's in-house efforts do not yet match the level of its competitors. But does that mean Apple has failed completely in AI? Not at all. In fact, the interesting part is only now beginning.

Despite the difficulties with the 2024 launch of Apple Intelligence, the company kept posting impressive financial results, largely thanks to iPhone sales. The Apple Intelligence flop was certainly painful, but it did not overshadow the company's successes elsewhere. It is worth remembering that Apple has always played by its own rules, betting on tight integration of hardware and software, on user experience, and on building a closed ecosystem. Those very principles could be the key to Apple's success in the AI era.

The decision to use Gemini for Siri is a pragmatic move. Rather than trying to catch up with the market leaders, Apple chose to draw on their achievements and build an advanced technology into its product. That should let Apple improve Siri's functionality quickly and offer users more advanced capabilities. It also raises a number of questions for the company. How will Apple integrate Gemini into its ecosystem while keeping control over user data and maintaining a high level of privacy? How will Apple differentiate Siri from other AI assistants that use the same Gemini models?

The integration of Gemini into Siri has far-reaching consequences for the whole industry. First, it may intensify competition between Google and Apple, as both companies fight for share of the AI assistant market. Second, it may spur new AI technologies and applications, as developers look for ways to use the capabilities of Gemini and other models to build innovative products. Third, it may reshape the labor market, as demand for AI specialists grows while the need for other professions may decline.

For users, Gemini in Siri means, above all, a better AI assistant. Siri will become smarter, more useful and more capable of handling complex tasks. But it may also raise concerns about data privacy, since Siri will collect and process more information about users. Apple will have to convince users that it cares about their privacy and is taking all necessary measures to protect their data.

In conclusion, bringing Gemini into Siri is an important turning point for Apple. The company has admitted it is behind in the AI race, but it has not given up. Apple is betting on integrating advanced technology, on user experience, and on building a closed ecosystem. It has every chance of succeeding in the AI era, but it will have to solve a number of hard problems first. The goal is not simply to catch up with competitors, but to create something unique and valuable for users.