Apple failed to deliver the intelligent AI
Practically everywhere I looked, I saw (and continue to actually see) the new smartphone with a bold and beautiful brand/promise/tagline, the 'Apple Intelligence'. Simply, a promise from probably one of the most expensive smartphone manufacturers in the world (Apple) that the artificial intelligence (AI) will finally come to their iPhone in a way that only they could do.
Like anything I mostly do, I read, researched and consequently bought into the promise of the future (with a unique way of integrating AI into the already existing successfully touted smart mobile device). I jumped into the bandwagon, especially since I found this would be the perfect gift for my wife as an upgrade to her existing old model iPhone, but of course with the AI-powered feature apart from just the basic upgrade of the storage and memory space, the onboard camera quality and finally the processor speed. Fast forward to today, I must admit that I am quite disappointed, especially with the high price tag paid (approx. RO 580) for a promise (Apple Intelligence) that is yet to be materialised in practice (but is only available today as a concept and on paper since a year ago when it was introduced).
So what really happened? Like almost everyone else, I bought into the promise of the 'Apple Intelligence'. Yet unlike everyone else, I realised today that it's probably a gimmick. Apple made the new iPhone look like the smartest phone ever made in history, where AI would be utilised as a feature to simplify our daily tasks, manage our lives better, and even offer creative tools on top of what is already available today as consumer AI-related apps (such as ChatGPT, Gemini and the like). If you watch last year's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WDC 2024), you will see that an amazing experience was promised (i.e., the Apple intelligence); nevertheless, fast-forward today, that was only a concept, not even a practical real demo that you can feel and play with.
Apple, during the conference and later via the mass media, talked about how they will utilise AI across all your apps, predicting what you need, and even edit your writing like a personal assistant. All that sounded like the ideal smart device that is not only quite secure (as opposed to Android or Huawei, as it claims) but also blends better privacy, better design, and generative power, thanks to AI. In reality, the roll-out of features was very limited, and only a few of what has been promised were released (e.g., rewording, summarising and paraphrasing text), pretty much as what other generative AI apps can do (or even better too). Why did Apple do that? In my humble opinion, to remain or seem competitive in the market race for AI and also to ensure shareholders continue to gain profits from the mass sales that are done as a result. I am not happy, nor are many who realised the same.
In conclusion, the futuristic gift that I bought for my wife did not materialise to date (though she loves the phone being a loyal Apple customer). The excitement of the same continues to be a frustration instead. Most 'Apple Intelligence' features that were promised and we saw remain a dream yet to be fulfilled. I hope Apple will soon react to this fiasco of selling an expensive promise (or device per se) with a real deed that puts a smile, productivity and a real future into the hands of consumers. Until we catch up again next week, let's continue to be positive of the beautiful innovative future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
The consequences of not banning AI in schools
I received an overwhelming amount of response in the form of feedback via social media networks, instant messages (WhatsApp) and even direct calls on last week's article on banning AI in schools. I am truly grateful for the engagement that I received from the readers because this shows the importance as well as the alertness that the society has in store for the subject. Some shared their strong agreement and warned that unchecked AI could surely affect our children (the students) in schools. This includes but is not limited to their thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, to name a few. Others, however, have expressed concern that banning AI in schools might limit their technological literacy, suggesting instead that schools should focus on teaching responsible and ethical use. My personal feedback that I continue to stand by is putting a framework and policy in place on the usage of AI in schools. This will help ensure AI is used correctly, potentially making it a powerful tool for personalised training. The situation today, however, is that there is not readily a policy and framework in place, and hence, the impact is inevitable. Let me focus this week on the consequences of not banning AI in schools. First, the students' critical thinking skills will be impacted. Why? The student simply uses a generative AI app (like ChatGPT) by asking a question (in the form of a prompt), and the answer arrives instantly (merely in seconds). The student doesn't struggle nor work hard but simply copies the answer/output and presents AI's work (not theirs). In the pre-AI era, a student would be required to critically think by searching and analysing different possibilities before finally presenting and solving a problem/question. Second, generative AI will be like a drug (an addiction) for the students. Without it, students will not be able to work on any assignment/problem due to being dependent on AI. Imagine tomorrow there is no connectivity and/or a plug is pulled off from ChatGPT and the like apps. Trust me, there will be zombies walking around the schools. Third, with dependency and addiction comes also a form of laziness. Students will see no reason to learn or work if AI can do everything for them. The mental resilience that the pre-generative AI era lived in will be shattered, trust me. Last but not least, originality (in terms of thoughts and creativity) will be lost. Outputs of an AI app are generated based on patterns in and from existing data. Students that depend on AI will ultimately lose the ability to create original content. We will eventually find the same generic work submitted by everyone, for they all rely on the same source, the AI machine. To conclude my article this week, I would like to emphasise that if this matter is not taken seriously, then the majority of the students (and no thanks to the continuous advancement of AI) will graduate without ever having written an essay, solved a math problem on their own, or struggled through a difficult assignment. Students will not only not have the skills that are required to join the workforce but also not have the basic knowledge to operate as well. Mark my words, quality education built on hard work will be erased in schools gradually. Diplomas and degrees will lose credibility, as no one can be certain whether the work was produced by the student or by a machine. We will create a new generation of graduates that knows where and how to find information but cannot function without constant access to AI. Until we catch up again next week, stay positive and upbeat, and never be too reliant on AI, as it may replace or break you too.
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods
NEW DELHI - From McDonald's and Coca-Cola to Amazon and Apple, US-based multinationals are facing calls for a boycott in India as business executives and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's supporters stoke anti-American sentiment to protest against U.S. tariffs. India, the world's most populous nation, is a key market for American brands that have rapidly expanded to target a growing base of affluent consumers, many of whom remain infatuated with international labels seen as symbols of moving up in life. India, for example, is the biggest market by users for Meta's WhatsApp, and Domino's has more restaurants than any other brand in the country. Beverages like Pepsi and Coca-Cola often dominate store shelves, and people still queue up when a new Apple store opens or a Starbucks cafe doles out discounts. Although there was no immediate indication of sales being hit, there's a growing chorus both on social media and offline to buy local and ditch American products after Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on goods from India, rattling exporters and damaging ties between New Delhi and Washington. McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters queries. Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of India's Wow Skin Science, took to LinkedIn with a video message urging support for farmers and startups to make "Made in India" a "global obsession," and to learn from South Korea, whose food and beauty products are famous worldwide. "We have lined up products from thousands of miles away. We have proudly spent on brands that we don't own, while our makers fight for attention in their own country," he said. Rahm Shastry, CEO of India's DriveU, which provides a car driver on call service, wrote on LinkedIn: "India should have its own home-grown Twitter/Google/YouTube/WhatsApp/FB -- like China has." To be fair, Indian retail companies give foreign brands like Starbucks stiff competition in the domestic market, but going global has been a challenge. Indian IT services firms, however, have become deeply entrenched in the global economy, with the likes of TCS and Infosys providing software solutions to clients worldwide. On Sunday, Modi made a "special appeal" for becoming self-reliant, telling a gathering in Bengaluru that Indian technology companies made products for the world but "now is the time for us to give more priority to India's needs." He did not name any company. Even as anti-American protests simmer, Tesla launched its second showroom in India in New Delhi, with Monday's opening attended by Indian commerce ministry officials and U.S. embassy officials. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch group, which is linked to Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, took out small public rallies across India on Sunday, urging people to boycott American brands. "People are now looking at Indian products. It will take some time to fructify," Ashwani Mahajan, the group's co-convenor, told Reuters. "This is a call for nationalism, patriotism." He also shared with Reuters a table his group is circulating on WhatsApp, listing Indian brands of bath soaps, toothpaste, and cold drinks that people could choose over foreign ones. On social media, one of the group's campaigns is a graphic titled "Boycott foreign food chains", with logos of McDonald's and many other restaurant brands. In Uttar Pradesh, Rajat Gupta, 37, who was dining at a McDonald's in Lucknow on Monday, said he wasn't concerned about the tariff protests and simply enjoyed the 49-rupee ($0.55) coffee he considered good value for money. "Tariffs are a matter of diplomacy, and my McPuff, coffee should not be dragged into it," he said.
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
What to know about Instagram Map, a new feature drawing backlash
A new Instagram feature rolled out in the United States this past week stirred strong feelings: Users can now share and view locations of others on a map. Meta, which owns Instagram, said in a blog post Wednesday that the feature was an opt-in service to help people 'stay up to date with friends.' Some users, however, reacted with confusion and panic, voicing concerns about privacy and safety. Here's what to know about the feature. What is Instagram Map? The new map, which can be found on top of Instagram's message inbox, allows users to share their live location while they are using the app. It also allows people to see the locations of users who share that information in recent posts on their feeds. Who can see you on it? By default, nobody. Meta said in its blog post that the location sharing option was inactive by default, and users would have to opt in. The company said people could limit who could see that information, or turn it off entirely. Meta called it a 'new, lightweight way to connect with each other.' Similar features exist in other apps: Snapchat has a personalized map feature, and Apple devices allow users to share their locations with one another. Meta's other platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp also offer live location sharing. How did people react? Broadly, not well. The news quickly raised questions about the possible dangers of location sharing on one of the world's most popular social media platforms. As the feature reached smartphones in the United States, it caused confusion, and even panic, for some users. Many people, including professional content creators, called for it to be rolled back, arguing that it could be used to stalk and harass. U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote to Meta on Friday, according to NBC News, urging its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, to abandon the feature. Why did people see themselves on the map unexpectedly? Some users said that they were unhappy to see their prior posts plotted on the map without using the location-sharing feature. One explanation, offered by Instagram's leader, Adam Mosseri, is that the map was populated not only with real-time locations but also with earlier posts tagged with a location. Those location tags existed before, but were not collated on a prominent map. Allie Taylor, an educator who posts content about disability on Instagram, was at work Wednesday when they shared a video on the app with a location tag for the city of Cincinnati. Soon, Taylor began receiving messages from their followers, including strangers, saying that their location was visible on Instagram's new map. It appeared accurate enough to show the street they worked on, Taylor said. 'It was terrifying,' Taylor said, adding, 'Why was this even a feature?' How do you turn it off? To check location sharing permissions for Instagram, users can try several options. In the app itself, users can head to their messages inbox, open the map, view the settings, and change location sharing to 'no one.' Phone users can also go directly into the location services tab in the device's settings and choose to allow or deny it for Instagram. Instagram has promised 'improvements.' Mosseri appeared taken aback by how the feature was received and made a series of posts seeking to answer the criticism. 'We're never going to share your location without someone actively asking to do so,' he said in one post on Friday. He conceded that there had been 'confusion' around the rollout. A statement from Meta, sent Saturday, said, 'Instagram Map is off by default, and your live location is never shared unless you choose to turn it on. 'If you do, only people you follow back — or a private, custom list you select — can see your location.' Mosseri, in his posts, said Instagram needed to do a 'better job' of explaining what would appear on the map. 'We can, and will, make it easier to understand exactly what's happening,' he said, adding that Instagram was hoping to make improvements early next week. This article originally appeared in
