For a long time, people have criticized Apple for not doing enough in artificial intelligence. Some thought this lack of a clear plan would hurt the company's technological lead. Many analysts on Wall Street worried that the gap between Apple and its competitors could affect iPhone sales. Apple has been seen as one of the biggest companies that is not doing well in the artificial intelligence race. The company's critics have said that it needs to do more to catch up.

Apple has now shown its most significant advancement in artificial intelligence: a new version of Siri that uses AI.

This is a message to the whole artificial intelligence industry.

The new platform is deeply integrated into Apple's operating systems, bringing many intelligent automation capabilities and working with Google Gemini to get and process information.

Is this enough to stop people from saying Apple is losing the artificial intelligence race?

No one can answer this question for sure yet. But maybe the question is not the point. The more important issue is whether Apple users will actually use these new artificial intelligence features and how they will help the company's business grow. The question might be missing the point. It is also important to think about how these features will contribute to Apple's business growth.

During the announcement, Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, said something notable.

He said some companies are rushing into artificial intelligence without thinking enough about the people it is supposed to help. According to Federighi, Apple's goal has always been to turn advanced technologies into useful and accessible products for everyone. He also said that Apple wants to make sure its products are intuitive.

This statement was seen as a response to criticism that Apple has fallen behind in artificial intelligence. It also shows the company's careful approach to the mixed feelings people have about artificial intelligence.

Today, many consumers are excited and worried about artificial intelligence at the same time. Some fear it could replace human jobs, while others worry it might hurt critical thinking and creativity. Against this backdrop, Apple seems determined to position itself as an artificial intelligence company that serves users, not just one that wants to be the best at technology.

The demonstrations of the new Siri suggest Apple is prioritizing practical uses over showing off technology.

The system can search for information in emails, messages, and conversation histories to give relevant suggestions. Siri also has what Apple calls 'screen awareness,' which lets it understand what users are looking at and give help instantly.

With Gemini integration, Siri can get up-to-date information from the internet in almost real-time and give results directly to users' devices.

Siri is designed to work smoothly across Apple's ecosystem, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. Like modern AI chatbots, it can also remember conversation history, making it easier for users to go back to previous interactions.

One of Apple's most significant decisions is that it is not building a standalone artificial intelligence application. Instead, artificial intelligence is being integrated directly into the operating system itself.

This could become a major advantage. While competitors have to reach customers through app stores, Siri's artificial intelligence is part of Apple's ecosystem.

If users can meet most of their artificial intelligence needs through Siri, many third-party artificial intelligence applications could face significant competition.

However, the key word remains 'potential.' The new Siri has not yet been released broadly and is only expected to enter beta testing later this year.

Apple doesn't need to win the artificial intelligence race.

Although it's too early to draw final conclusions, one thing is becoming clear: Apple is trying to develop artificial intelligence in a way that aligns with its customers' needs.

Unlike many pure-play artificial intelligence companies, Apple is still mainly a hardware business. The goal of its artificial intelligence enhancements is not to create entirely new products but to make iPhones, iPads, and Macs more useful and convenient.

This difference becomes especially clear when compared to competitors.

OpenAI is releasing new updates quickly but is still looking for a clear answer to a basic question: Is its main customer the individual consumer or the enterprise?

Meanwhile, Meta is investing tens of billions of dollars into artificial intelligence while still struggling to explain how these huge expenditures will connect to its core advertising business.

By contrast, Apple's more measured approach is showing both strategic and financial advantages.

Throughout most of the artificial intelligence boom, Apple has not needed a flashy artificial intelligence strategy to remain successful. The company still had record iPhone sales during its last quarter despite criticism about its pace in artificial intelligence.

As more questions come up about artificial intelligence's long-term profitability and real value, Apple appears to be in a relatively favorable position.

According to estimates, Apple is expected to spend about US$14 billion in capital expenditures this year. This is much lower than the roughly US$900 billion that other technology giants have committed to artificial intelligence investments over the coming years.

What makes the situation even more interesting is that Apple continues to generate significant revenue from the artificial intelligence industry itself.

Many artificial intelligence companies that offer applications through the App Store share some of their revenue with Apple through platform fees.

In other words, Apple is spending much less than many competitors while still making huge profits. At the same time, it has introduced a suite of artificial intelligence features that, for most iPhone users, may not feel very different from artificial intelligence applications they have already downloaded from the App Store.

If that is not enough to qualify Apple as a winner in the artificial intelligence race, it may still represent the smartest way to compete.

Rather than joining an expensive spending war, Apple is using its greatest strengths: a vast hardware ecosystem, billions of loyal users, and an unmatched ability to turn complex technologies into simple, useful experiences that fit naturally into everyday life.

Hai Phong