Apple’s WWDC 2024 demonstration of Siri’s most advanced Apple Intelligence capabilities were little more than a concept video, rather than a working version of the software, according to a new report.
The Information spoke to more than a dozen former Apple engineers, who said the yet-to-launch (and arguably most impressive) features weren’t working on Apple test devices at the time they were showcased to the public.
At WWDC 2024 in June Apple used the example of “when is my mum’s flight landing?” which would consult the Mail app with the flight details on the best iPhone models.
The device owner would also be able to ask “what is our lunch plan?” and scan the Messages conversation, pertaining to those plans. The user would also be able to ask when they should leave to get mum from the airport, recognising context from multiple apps.
While using concept videos for incomplete features is not entirely uncommon in the tech world, it is very uncommon for Apple. The report said even members of the Siri team had never seen the feature in action and were surprised by its appearance during the keynote at WWDC in June 2024.
Normally, the report says, Apple’s marketing team works closely with the product teams to ensure anything demonstrated during keynote addresses in a fit state to launch within a reasonable timeframe
Indeed, according to the sources, the only working feature of the new Siri at that time was the new colourful, glowing indicator that surrounds the screen when Siri is activated.
The report sheds light on the battle for Apple to create AI features that modernise Siri to compete with Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
It also goes some way towards explaining why Apple hasn’t produced the goods yet and recently announced the next-generation Siri wouldn’t be released before the end of the year.
Opinion
This very un-Apple-like situation would go some way to explain the turmoil over the company’s bid to bring Siri into to the generative AI era.
Apple has not commented on the situation and is unlikely to ever admit that its demonstration was a concept rather than a working design. If it went to these lengths to fabricate its process, it would reflect a desperation to make it appear like it was on track.
It explains why Siri’s revamp isn’t even close to being ready, almost a year after it was first introduced to audiences who excitedly tuned into WWDC.
