Gurman: Apple Believes Its AI Technology Is Two Years Behind Rivals

Some Apple employees believe that the company's in-house generative AI technology powering Apple Intelligence is more than two years behind industry leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman's sources within Apple tell him that the company's own studies suggest its upcoming AI features lack the "wow factor" of rival technologies currently offered by the likes of Google, OpenAI, and Meta.

For example, internal studies at Apple reportedly show that OpenAI's ChatGPT is 25% more accurate than the new Siri and can answer 30% more questions. Of course, Apple has already conceded as much, given that part of its strategy includes a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its operating systems, providing users with the option to tap into greater generative AI assistance if they want it.

Despite the setback, Gurman notes that Apple is in the unique position of presiding over a vast ecosystem of tightly integrated devices, which gives it the advantage of being able to quickly deploy new technologies across its product line. This could prove advantageous as the company works to close the AI gap with competitors, and its history of successfully entering new markets suggests it shouldn't be counted out.

Apple's latest iPhone 16 series supports Apple Intelligence, as does its Macs and its iPad lineup (with the exception of the entry-level model) following last week's iPad mini 7 announcement. The first set of AI features are expected to roll out to these devices next week.

Meanwhile, a new iPhone SE 4 with Apple Intelligence support is set to launch in March, with an AI-capable entry-level iPad said to be coming later in the same year. In addition, Apple is working on bringing the technology to Vision Pro, and given that AI notification summaries can be delivered to Apple Watch, Gurman suggests that by early 2026, "nearly every Apple device with a screen" will run Apple Intelligence.