Apple Faces Legal Heat Over Alleged Misleading AI Features on Siri
In a significant legal development, Apple finds itself embroiled in a lawsuit, accused of overstating the artificial intelligence capabilities of its Siri digital assistant. The suit, initiated in a United States federal court, claims that Apple misled consumers regarding the advanced AI features of Siri, which were part of a promotional campaign tied to the iPhone 16.
The plaintiff, Peter Landsheft, has put forth this case as a proposed class action, asserting that Apple’s 2024 marketing efforts heavily promised revolutionary ‘Apple Intelligence’ enhancements integrated into Siri. This lawsuit argues these promised features have not yet seen the light of day.
The legal complaint highlights a series of alleged violations, including the California Unfair Competition Law, the California False Advertising Law, and the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act. It also cites instances of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract, among other claims any class action related to state law infractions.
“Apple has misled countless consumers into purchasing devices under false pretenses of offering non-existent features, thereby contravening several false advertising and consumer protection laws,” claims the lawsuit. It further states that the much-publicized ‘Apple Intelligence’ features, which were said to enhance Siri, have been confirmed by Apple to be non-existent both at the time of the claim and currently.
The allegations are partly drawn from Apple’s public communications and marketing materials. Apple has been promoting the ‘Apple Intelligence’ suite—a diverse array of AI functionalities accessible through particular apps on Apple devices—since the Worldwide Developer Conference in 2024. In these presentations, CEO Tim Cook branded the impending technology as “profound.”
Despite significant technological advancements through Apple Private Cloud Compute—a system designed to secure privacy for cloud-based AI models—the ‘Apple Intelligence’ features have so far delivered less than expected. Recently, Apple announced that some of the personalization enhancements for Siri originally scheduled would face delays until 2026.
The lawsuit argues that, through these promotions, Apple misled both the market and its user base about the AI capabilities of the iPhone 16, effectively convincing consumers to choose their device over alternatives they might have otherwise considered.
The contention within the legal framework is that “Apple is struggling amidst an AI development race,” with competitors like Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta apparently taking the lead. Despite the challenges, these competitors are not yet profiting significantly from AI investments.
The internal restructuring at Apple, including the reported reassignment of key AI executives, indicates potential doubts within Apple’s leadership about the trajectory of ‘Apple Intelligence.’ The tech giant is said to have put Mike Rockwell, known for overseeing less successful projects like the VisionPro headset, in charge of steering Siri’s future development from the outgoing AI head, John Giannandrea.
The controversy surrounding Apple’s alleged missteps has sparked comments from industry analysts. Some speculate whether this scenario points to broader issues of systemic inefficiency within Apple’s strategic execution.
