Summary in Plain Language
This article reveals the complete behind-the-scenes story of Apple’s AI business being delayed by more than two years: At the 2026 Apple autumn launch event, all AI features were finally integrated into its products, including phones, watches, and headphones. The new Siri could search through emails, browse chat records, and help users plan their schedules. However, Samsung, Honor, and other domestic AI-powered smartphone manufacturers had already implemented these features for consumers several months earlier. For a long time, the blame for Apple’s lag in AI was placed on JG, the person in charge of AI who came from Google, with claims that his lack of competence had ruined everything. But upon closer inspection, it turns out that JG was a top expert in the fields of the internet, search technology, and AI. His approach of running AI locally and never casually uploading user data was not wrong. What actually hindered Apple’s AI progress were the company’s closed-off internal power structure, the old product development philosophy of “waiting for perfection before release” that had persisted for decades, and the stark conflict with the new AI industry norm of “launching first and then iterating.” It seems that Apple has finally delivered its AI offerings, but it was more a result of being forced by the times.
Detailed Analysis
1. Apple’s AI, after 8 years of development, was already outdated upon release
You could describe Apple’s 2026 AI launch as the last student in the class to submit their homework, with an answer that was almost identical to those of their predecessors. As early as 2024, when Apple first showcased AI features, the smooth videos showing Siri checking mom’s flight information and automatically planning routes were pre-recorded special effects that even the Siri developers were surprised by—no working version had actually been created at that time. The only new feature available on the actual devices was the colored ring of light that appeared on the screen when Siri was activated. When the promised features didn’t materialize, Apple had to secretly remove the pre-recorded ads and publicly admit the delay, with internal executives describing it as a complete failure.
By 2026, when all the AI features were finally ready, consumers had already been using cross-app voice assistants, real-time translation, and AI-powered image editing services from other companies for a year or two. Apple’s AI lacked the novelty and disruptive impact it had when the iPhone first came out.
2. The “culprit” of Apple’s AI lag was actually a pioneer who was misunderstood
Everyone blamed JG for the delay, but looking at his background, it’s clear this was unfair. This Scottish engineer helped establish the fundamental rules for the internet (HTTP, HTML) in the 1990s and worked on early voice assistants and Google’s knowledge graph systems. He even contributed to the “Do you agree to cookies?” pop-up that appears on every website today. His focus on running AI locally and protecting user data wasn’t about using privacy as a cover; he had witnessed firsthand how user data was misused by advertisers in the past and anticipated the associated risks. Today, companies like Samsung, Huawei, and domestic manufacturers follow a approach that combines local small models with cloud-based large models, which aligns with JG’s original vision. He wasn’t technically behind; he just started earlier than everyone else.
3. Apple’s “loyalist culture” was the hidden obstacle to AI progress
Despite being a top executive with the title of SVP, JG struggled to make changes because Apple’s decision-making circle had been dominated by people who had worked with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook for decades. As a newcomer from Google, he couldn’t break into the core power circle and lacked the resources to drive major reforms. For example, a simple change like removing the “Hey” word from Siri’s activation phrase took the team more than two years to complete. JG’s requests for more budget to train large AI models were repeatedly rejected, while Google and OpenAI were already investing heavily in GPU resources. Apple’s old-fashioned executives argued that the returns on AI investment were uncertain. With departments working on their own AI projects with unclear responsibilities, any new initiative was likely to fail, hindering progress.
4. Past success strategies became a fatal flaw in the AI era
Apple’s previous success relied on the “wait for perfection before release” approach: refining products to perfection and keeping all details secret until the launch, creating a stunning experience that dominated the market. This worked in the era of feature phones and smartphones, but not in the AI era. The new rule in the AI industry is to “launch quickly and iterate continuously.” Companies like domestic manufacturers released AI features in late 2023, fixed bugs within a year, and gained a competitive edge. Apple, still stuck on its old approach, missed out on the initial benefits of AI phones.
5. Apple’s new AI features are a result of bowing to the times, not a victory
The new Siri, released in 2026, relies on Google’s Gemini large model. Although it achieves the personal intelligence system JG wanted to implement, JG had already been replaced by the time this idea was realized. The new CEO, Tim Cook, rebranded the iPhone as a “smart personal center,” echoing Steve Jobs’ concept from 25 years ago. However, Apple no longer has the momentum to redefine the industry. The new Siri is still in the testing phase and only supports English, unavailable in many regions. Apple’s once-dominant position in the tech industry is gone. What really lagged behind wasn’t just specific AI features but the company’s overall pace. In the fast-paced AI world, being slow means falling behind. Today, Apple has realized that perfection is no longer an excuse for delay.