The AI Bubble: How Apple’s Latest iPhone Release Exposes the Hollow Promise of Artificial Intelligence
Apple’s latest iPhone release was met with a collective shrug from the tech world. The promised centrepiece of the new device was AI, or "Apple Intelligence" as Apple branded it. But instead of the usual fanfare, the reaction was lukewarm at best. The new iPhone’s AI features were touted as revolutionary, but in reality, they were little more than a rehashing of existing functions.
The real question is: what’s the point of AI in smartphones? Apple’s approach to deploying artificial intelligence seems to be a mishmash of existing functions, many of which are already built into popular third-party apps. The company’s AI can help you create a custom emoji, transcribe a phone call, edit a photo or write an email – neat, but no longer ground-breaking stuff.
The industry is $500 billion short of making back the massive investments in AI hardware and software, and the $100 billion in AI revenue projected to be made in 2024 is not even close to this figure. It’s clear that AI has reached a plateau, and the hype surrounding it is starting to wear off.
But Apple and other tech giants are still convinced that AI is the future. They’re pouring billions of dollars into research and development, convinced that the next big breakthrough is just around the corner. The problem is, the market is getting tired of the same old promises and empty hype.
The iPhone 16’s AI features are a perfect example of this. The new phone’s AI can help you create a custom emoji, transcribe a phone call, edit a photo or write an email – neat, but no longer ground-breaking stuff. The one forward-looking feature is called Visual Intelligence, which allows you to aim the camera at something in the surroundings and get information without explicitly doing a search. But even this feature is reminiscent of the Lens in Google’s Pixel phones, and it’s unclear how it will actually be used in real-world environments.
The reality is that AI has reached a point of diminishing returns. The industry has been hyping AI for years, and the results have been underwhelming. It’s time to slow down and take a step back to consider where AI will actually be the most useful.
The AI Bubble is Bursting
The AI bubble is bursting, and it’s time for the tech industry to take a hard look at its priorities. The hype surrounding AI has been unsustainable for years, and it’s only a matter of time before the market corrects itself.
Apple’s latest iPhone release is a perfect example of this. The company’s AI features are little more than a rehashing of existing functions, and the market is getting tired of the same old promises and empty hype. It’s time for Apple and other tech giants to stop hyping AI and start delivering real value to consumers.
The future of AI is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the hype surrounding it is starting to wear off. It’s time for the tech industry to take a step back and re-evaluate its priorities. The AI bubble is bursting, and it’s time to move on to the next big thing.
