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Google I/O 2024 was kind of surprising. This is because Google generally announces a bunch of different things at the event, sometimes hardware, sometimes software, sometimes services, and so on. But this year, the focus was largely on AI, but we felt that it was kind of lackluster.
Instead of blowing us away with their AI advancements, a lot of the new AI features and tools feel like just enhanced versions of software. It didn’t really have the same magic we felt when ChatGPT first burst onto the scene. But every cloud has a silver lining, and this silver lining could be Apple’s to grab.
It is expected that at WWDC 2024, Apple will make a bunch of AI-related announcements. Seeing as how boring I/O was, this gives Apple a chance to truly stand out and create something magical. It’s not just wishful thinking on our part though, Apple definitely needs this as well.
A shoddy track record
Apple has a mixed track record when it comes to launching new services. Siri is a great example of that. On stage, the demo was near flawless for its time. In real-life, it was a completely different story. Even after more than a decade later, Siri still pales in comparison to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Apple Maps was another fiasco where for something as basic as a mapping application, it had weird graphical glitches and navigation issues that led people to the wrong place. With this track record, Apple definitely needs to get its AI game right out of the door or risk falling behind, never to catch up again.
Apple’s user-centric approach
The company does have a small element of surprise in the sense that no one knows for sure what exactly they are working on. This could result in something that is completely surprising, in a good way, or something that just falls flat on its face. A recent report from Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg suggests that Apple’s AI approach will be less grand.
Apple is expected to launch AI features that it thinks will benefit its users in day-to-day activities. This is versus the more grandiose approach from Google who is trying to shove its AI into everything.
This could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. It could be good because it allows Apple to start small and get it right before it moves onto bigger and better things. It could be bad because it could come across as boring. We imagine that Apple’s investors are more interested in the grand scheme of things, so Apple will need to balance keeping both its customers and investors happy.
Will Apple pull it off?
We are cautiously optimistic that Apple will be able to pull it off AI. There is no doubt that Apple has the resources to make it work. But the company has a reputation for being stubborn where they still believe that they know what customers want. More often than not, they are right.
Apple didn’t get to where they are today by being constantly wrong. But there have been instances where they flopped and have failed to fully recover. Siri is still horrible to use and while Apple Maps has gotten a lot better, the initial tone that Apple set is something they’ll never be able to fully shake off.
Either way, we’ll have to wait and see. WWDC 2024 will be taking place from the 10th to the 14th of June, 2024, so check back with us for more updates.
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