WWDC 2025: Did Apple's AI Hype Fall Flat? Why I Think They're Lagging!

Woah, WWDC 2025 just wrapped up , and honestly, the AI showcase felt a bit... underwhelming. Remember all that hype from WWDC 2024? Looks like the "big pie" they drew last year hasn't quite materialized. 📉

Here's why I think Apple is falling behind in the AI race:

Apple Intelligence: Not So Intelligent?

Super Siri Still MIA: Last year, they teased us with a "Super" Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, promising a Siri that understands context, screen content, and deep app control. A whole year later, and it's still nowhere to be seen! Craig Federighi (SVP of Software Engineering) basically kicked off this year's WWDC by saying generative AI Siri won't be ready until next year, citing "high standards" and needing more time to optimize. No real progress updates, just more waiting. Seriously, Apple?
Live Translation - A Bit Cringey: iOS 26 introduced Live Translation, but let's be real, the actual performance was pretty basic. I saw comments saying if an Android company showed off this level of feature, the audience would probably boo. Ouch.

AI Models & Apps: Slow Progress Ahead

Big Model Tests - Where's the Impact? Bloomberg reported that Apple's internally testing multiple complex AI systems (3B, 7B, 33B, and even 150B parameter models!). But so far, no mature applications or services have been launched. As users, we're not feeling any real improvement from these "big models." What's the point of testing if it doesn't translate to user experience?
No Homegrown AI Chatbot: In this generative AI boom, Apple is conspicuously missing its own AI chatbot. This definitely hurts their competitiveness in the AI space and is reportedly making some execs pretty uneasy. You'd think they'd have one by now!

Developer Support: Feeling Left Out?

On-Device Models - Limited & Flawed: Apple's on-device models at this WWDC are roughly at GPT-3.5 level, but with worse hallucination problems. Plus, developers can't freely train and optimize them like with open-source models. We're stuck developing within Apple's strict framework, which limits deep development and innovative applications. That's a huge constraint!
Sky-High Training Costs: Apparently, training a 150B parameter model internally costs Apple a whopping $100M to $200M! These exorbitant costs are slowing down their model training and optimization, making it hard to roll out high-quality AI apps and services quickly.

Team & Strategy: Are They Lost?

AI Head Replaced: John Giannandrea, who used to lead AI at Google (responsible for DeepMind and integrating AI into core products), was reportedly stripped of most management responsibilities. "Firefighter" Kim Vorrath took over Apple Intelligence and Siri development. This suggests Apple has some serious internal issues with their AI strategy, impacting team stability and direction.
Strategic Lag: While competitors were rapidly launching generative AI products and services, Apple's response felt sluggish. They haven't delivered a competitive AI large model or application, causing them to fall behind in the AI race and miss out on crucial development opportunities.

It's no wonder people are questioning Apple's AI capabilities and future potential. Since 2025, Apple's stock has plunged over 20%, wiping out more than 5.5 trillion yuan in market value. They're the worst-performing "Magnificent Seven" tech giant, and frankly, it reflects the market's disappointment in their AI progress.

What do you guys think? Is Apple truly falling behind in AI, or are they just playing the long game? Share your thoughts below! 👇$Apple(AAPL.US)