Why Apple’s slow-and-steady AI bet is starting to look pretty smart

Apple has long been cast as a laggard in the AI race, with critics saying its lack of a clear strategy has cost it ground. The company has now unveiled Siri AI, embedding automated capabilities powered by a partnership with Google Gemini into the core of its software.

Whether that will stop talk of Apple ‘‘losing’’ the AI race is unclear; a more useful question is whether customers will use these features and whether they will help Apple’s business. Craig Federighi framed the effort as a response to a different approach. “Some appear to be racing forward, seemingly pursuing AI for the sake of AI, without clear regard for the people — all of us — that it’s ultimately meant to serve,” he said, adding that Apple’s mission is to turn advanced technology into helpful and intuitive products.

The remark reads as both a rebuttal to the behind-on-AI critique and an appeal to consumers who are ambivalent or worried about AI’s effects.

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