Apple’s new AI software, branded as “Apple Intelligence,” has sparked significant buzz, but not all of it is positive. After spending several weeks with the feature on my iPhone, one thing is clear: Apple seems to think its users are either lazy, dishonest, or downright foolish. Don’t just take my word for it—Apple’s own advertisements paint this picture.
In each advert, Apple portrays people who are lazy or do not work hard or have any principles but come across as smart professionals due to AI. The result? A combination of ridiculous situations that make you wonder if Apple sees its clients as rational problem-solving minds or simply dumb people who can barely get through the day.
So let’s get to the details and try to figure out if Apple Intelligence is a radical shift or just an opportunity for average.
The Ads: Lazy, Dishonest, or Both?
Apple’s marketing for Apple Intelligence takes a unique approach: has been used to depict users as unfriendly and incompetent but redeemed by the software. I do think these ads can be funny but more often than not they are seen by the viewers as rather vulgar. Here are a few examples:
The Lazy Office Worker:
In one ad, a man sits in front of a Mac all day and does not do anything at all. If it is time to send an email, he employs Apple Intelligence to write a professional email which creates the impression that he is busy. He even assigns his work to another person and makes his colleagues think he is working hard.
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The Forgetful Spouse:
Another ad shows a wife forgetting her husband’s birthday. In a state of paranoia she uses Apple Intelligence to create a basic family memory montage. The catch? iPhones already have a built-in feature for this: it’s called the Notes app. Her effort impresses no one.
The Unprepared Professional:
Apple Intelligence: A man goes to a meeting, and he doesn’t bother to read a report but uses it to give a summary he has no clue about. Again, the picture we are presented here is one of fake it till you make it.
All the scenarios depict user cheating, which may lie, or use AI to cover their inefficiency or laziness. For some reason, these ads offer nothing but deceit and laziness instead of encouraging the development of new ideas.
Does Apple Think We’re Fakers?
The tone of these commercials raises a bigger question: does Apple think we’re all just muddling through life, lying to everyone, and relying on AI to appear competent? While we’ve all had moments of oversight—forgetting an email or missing a deadline—should technology encourage us to fake it? Or should it empower us to be better?
The ads seem to suggest the former. They present AI as a tool for creating false impressions rather than genuine improvements. In an era where authenticity matters, this messaging feels tone-deaf.
Living with Apple Intelligence: The Reality
I decided to test Apple Intelligence myself, hoping it would enhance productivity and save time. Unfortunately, the reality fell short of the hype.
- Notifications and Email Digest
Apple Intelligence tries to give notifications and emails in a digest form so that users can go through them faster. In practice, however, such summaries are often wrong or completely fail to capture the essence of the text.
Worse, they present themselves as lifeless automatons, thus making the first impression quite frigid. Instead of saving time, I saw myself extending messages to read the original text, which was not the desired outcome.
2. Tone Rewriting
Apple Intelligence has a feature that enables you to rewrite messages to change the way they are written. Although this can be useful for toning down rude things to say or putting more professionalism in your tone, it can also strip your message of personality.
This tool could therefore be overused, resulting in the development of standard and mediocre communication. Yeah, it’s handy for a quick proof-read, but do we need a machine to tell us to ‘be nice’?
3. Summarizing Web Pages
Apple Intelligence has the ability to provide a brief of the content available on the web. While convenient, it raises a philosophical question: Is the act of thinking itself the task we are seeking to save time on? The application such as this one can save time in a way but only at the expense of reading and understanding what is being read.
The Bigger Picture: What’s the Goal?
The same way the dishwasher was presented as a time saver, the same is said about AI. However, with Apple Intelligence, it is difficult to understand what ‘chore’ it is trying to solve. Is reading emails or thinking critically now considered a burden?
Steve Jobs successfully positioned Apple as a brand for innovators, for the crazy ones. But these new ads seem to target a different audience: the “lazy ones.” This shift somehow feels that it’s not in line with what Apple is all about.
Is Apple Intelligence Worth It?
While AI promise to revolutionalize working and communication, Apple Intelligence is more of an anti-climax. It is more of a tool that makes people in one way or another promote mediocrity or feign proficiency in their respective fields. While such features as notification summaries or tone rewriting might be occasionally useful, they are far from being of significant importance.
For now, Apple Intelligence appears as a marketing ploy rather than a revolution on wheels. If you are in search of tools that indeed increase productivity then you might need to search further.
Final Thoughts: Should One ‘Think Different’ or Should One ‘Think Less’?
Apple once prompted us to “think different.” But with these ads, the message seems to have shifted: let AI do the thinking for you. Whether you are impressed with Apple Intelligence or not, one thing is for sure; the use of AI is a topic that is being discussed.
What do you think? Are these tools a step forward or are we being encouraged to accept average? Go ahead and post your opinion—the raw and uncensored version.
Source: CNET