Crypto News: Apple’s WWDC AI plan

Hey everyone, it's Mark. Apple, a year after debuting its AI platform, will do little at WWDC to show it's catching up to leaders like OpenAI and Google. Also: The latest macOS gets its new California theme; a look at why the company is moving to an iOS 26 and macOS 26 naming system; and details on Apple's dedicated gaming app.

Last week in Power On: Jony Ive's deal with OpenAI ups the pressure on Apple to find its next breakthrough product.

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The Starters

Apple's WWDC event in June. Source: Apple

A year ago, Apple Inc. unveiled its long-awaited entry to the generative AI space. With Apple Intelligence, the company assumed the role of the thoughtful latecomer that had taken its time to get AI right. Wall Street bought in to the idea, and consumers were curious. The message was clear: Apple may have been behind, but it wouldn't be for long.

By August, when developers got their hands on the first beta version of Apple Intelligence, that narrative began to fall apart. It became obvious that the product was more branding than breakthrough. The system that Apple delivered lacked the power and novelty of ones from OpenAI, Alphabet Inc.'s Google and others. It was reactive, forgettable and late (the software even missed the iPhone 16 launch date by a month and a half).

In the following months, it was evident that...