Apple is losing the AI race, and it’s not even close. For three and a half years, rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have racked up victory after victory, while Apple has stumbled, rushed, and botched its own AI rollout.
But here’s the twist—that slow pace might actually be a blessing. While Microsoft forcibly stuffed AI into every corner of its software (only to later retreat), Apple users could simply ignore Apple Intelligence if they wanted.
The real trouble started when Apple got desperate. After watching ChatGPT dominate for 18 months, the company felt the pressure to deliver—and it oversold its vision hard.
At its big 2024 unveiling, Apple swung for the fences. It promised a totally revamped Siri that could dig through your inbox, recall past conversations, and even take actions on your behalf. The company released a slick ad starring Bella Ramsey, using Siri to remember a coffee date.
Then reality hit. Apple Intelligence trickled out over iOS 18 in a half-baked mess. Notification Summaries had to be pulled after the AI misread BBC headlines. And that revolutionary Siri? It never arrived—Apple yanked the ad and, according to the latest whispers, won’t launch the feature until iOS 27.
That two-year delay didn’t sit well with consumers. A class action lawsuit, filed by Clarkson Lawfirm, accused Apple of misleading customers into buying new iPhones based on AI features that flat-out didn’t exist.
The suit argued that people who bought iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model between June 2024 and March 2025 did so expecting those advertised capabilities. Apple hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, but it just agreed to pay $250 million to make the case go away.
For a company worth $4 trillion, that’s pocket change. But for affected buyers, the payout will be modest. Currently, each claimant can expect $25 per device—though that could rise to $95 or fall even lower depending on how many people file.
Don’t rush to submit a claim yet. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. If it passes, eligible users will be notified on how to collect their share.
