The Scoop: Apple tests consumer appeal of AI with new iPhone

AI has been a big 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 mass viability will be Apple’s iPhone 16, unveiled today and expected to pack all sorts of AI bells and whistles.

The expected 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 big step forward for Apple — and a gamble in many ways. As smartphone technology has stagnated, with new versions of the iPhone doing little more than adding fancier cameras, it’s taking longer for people to upgrade 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 to get consumers to wake up and take notice. But will AI do the trick?

Other tools that capitalized on the appeal of AI tools, such as Microsoft’s AI computer, have failed due to security, privacy and technology concerns.

According to the New York Times, Apple’s messaging focuses on answering most AI questions, especially personal ones, privately. Most tasks can be completed entirely on the iPhone itself without being outsourced to other servers, while larger, more general requests are handled by ChatGPT.

Why it’s important: Consumer adoption of this new iPhone will be a measure of how interested everyday consumers are in AI tools. ChatGPT alone has 200 million weekly active users, doubling in just over a year.

The New York Times reports that the new model is expected to boost iPhone sales by as much as 12 percent next year, but warns that other AI products have failed to live up to their promise and resonate with consumers. The tech industry has also sometimes misunderstood what the public wants from AI versus what they want in order to remain human, with ads promoting outsourcing the writing of a childhood idol to AI or compressing the tools of human creativity into a tablet drawing backlash.

One option for convincing skeptical audiences might simply be to downplay the role of AI. The term may have lost its luster, but its potential can still be compelling if presented in a benefits-focused way rather than the “yeah, AI is cool!” message that many brands have used in the past. Looking at what the technology can actually achieve could help the new iPhone succeed where other AI-powered tools have failed.

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

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