Apple Intelligence AI capabilities are 2 years behind competitors: Report

Apple is all set to begin releasing its much-anticipated Apple Intelligence across various devices starting October 28. While this release seems aimed at helping Apple catch up in the AI race, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple still believes its AI capabilities are significantly behind industry leaders, with some sources within the company suggesting it could be more than two years behind.
In his report, Gurman highlights several internal studies conducted by Apple that reveal a significant performance gap between Apple Intelligence and the generative AI systems developed by competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Meta. According to Apple’s internal evaluations, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is approximately 25 per cent more accurate than Apple’s upgraded Siri and can respond to 30 per cent more queries. Similarly, Google’s Gemini AI, along with Meta’s AI tools, is seen to outperform Apple’s own large language models (LLMs), which are powering the upcoming Apple Intelligence features.
According to Gurman, Apple is acutely aware of the limitations and capabilities of its AI systems, particularly when it comes to practical applications and user experience. While Apple Intelligence will introduce several novel features, including Writing Tools and notification summaries, in general, the company believes that its AI suite lacks the “wow factor” that users might expect from cutting-edge AI.
However, Apple will not leave things as they are and let its users feel behind in terms of what AI can do. In fact, Apple has acknowledged its limitations and has even announced a partnership with OpenAI during the launch of Apple Intelligence. This collaboration will allow Apple device users to tap into ChatGPT’s capabilities, which can provide more comprehensive AI assistance than Apple’s native systems. However, to maintain privacy, users will need to give their approval to access ChatGPT’s help. Not just ChatGPT, Apple will also give users the option to choose between ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.
While Apple seems to lag behind, Gurman notes that with its ecosystem of tightly integrated devices, Apple has the ability to quickly roll out new technologies across a vast range of products. This is a key advantage over competitors, many of whom do not have the same level of control over both hardware and software. Apple’s hardware stack and unified ecosystem allow it to introduce AI features to a large number of devices, ensuring widespread adoption and a seamless user experience, thus entering the AI market more seamlessly.
Notably, the Apple Intelligence feature will be available across the entire iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro, the newly launched iPad mini 7, as well as all Mac devices currently on the market. Moreover, Apple plans to extend these capabilities to most devices with screens, including the upcoming Vision Pro and future iterations of the Apple Watch.
Apple is also preparing to introduce Apple Intelligence to an even wider array of products. In March 2025, the company is likely to launch the iPhone SE 4, a more affordable model that will also include AI-powered features. Additionally, an entry-level iPad with AI capabilities is expected to debut later that year. By 2026, Apple aims to equip “nearly every device with a screen” with Apple Intelligence, according to Gurman’s report. This widespread rollout would allow Apple to catch up to competitors more quickly.