The Scoop: Apple puts AI consumer appeal to the test with new iPhone

AI has been a major marketing buzzword for nearly two years now, used in attempts to sell everything from pillows to toothbrushes. But perhaps the biggest test of the technology’s viability with the general public will be Apple’s iPhone 16, which will be unveiled today and is expected to include all manner of AI bells and whistles.

The anticipated features, dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” “will sort messages, offer writing suggestions and create a more capable Siri powered by generative artificial intelligence,” the New York Times reported.

It’s a major step forward for Apple – and a gamble in many ways. As smartphone technology has plateaued, with new iterations of the iPhone doing little more than adding fancier cameras, people go longer between upgrading the ubiquitous devices. The average time between replacing an iPhone is now five years, up from three years in 2018, the Times reported. Apple needs something that makes consumers sit up and take notice. But will AI do the trick?

Other tools that banked on the appeal of AI tools, such as Microsoft’s AI computer, have faltered amid security, privacy and technology concerns.

Apple’s messaging, according to the New York Times, focuses on privately addressing most AI queries, especially personal ones. Most tasks can be completed entirely on the iPhone itself without being outsourced to other servers, while bigger, more general requests will be handled by ChatGPT.

Why it matters: Consumer adoption of this new iPhone will act as a bellwether for how interested everyday consumers are in AI tools. ChatGPT alone has 200 million active weekly users, doubling in just over a year.

The New York Times reports that this new model is expected to boost iPhone sales by as much as 12% next year, but also cautions that other AI products have failed to deliver on their promise, falling flat with consumers. The tech industry has also at times failed to understand what audiences want from AI versus what they want to remain human, with advertisements about outsourcing writing to a child’s idol to AI or compressing the tools of human creativity into a tablet facing backlash.

One option for convincing skeptical audiences could simply be downplaying the role of AI. The shine may be falling off the term, but its capabilities may still appeal if offered in a benefits-focused manner rather than the “gee whiz, AI is cool!” messaging that many brands have employed in the past. Looking at what the technology truly accomplishes may help the new iPhone succeed where other AI-driven tools have failed.

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Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.