Apple's missing mojo: iPhone maker falls further behind in the AI race

Apple's recent AI updates at WWDC were modest and failed to impress, especially when compared to rivals like Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic, which have made more significant advancements in the field. AI is considered a major technology shift that could dethrone existing leaders and crown new ones. Apple's updates focused on smaller tweaks and enhancements to Apple Intelligence, including live translation, which is already available on rival devices. The company is improving its image generation by drawing more heavily on its partnership with OpenAI. Apple's most significant move was to allow them to use its own models, but the list of things left unsaid looms larger than the improvements. The company didn't expand on its vision for personalized AI, nor did it announce rumored deals with Google or Perplexity to serve as additional third-party engines for Apple Intelligence. Apple also didn't offer a concrete timeline for the improved Siri originally promised last year. Apple's incrementalism stands in sharp contrast to its rivals, and its strategy of arriving late and polished might not survive the fast-moving pace of generative AI. The company's restraint in announcing only features it is ready to ship may have reinforced the perception that it has made little progress since last year.