Apple has come under fire for promoting unfinished Siri AI capabilities in its marketing campaigns and TV commercials, according to senior director Robby Walker. During a recent all-hands meeting, Walker admitted that showcasing these enhancements before they were fully developed “made matters worse” in light of the subsequent indefinite delay.
The company had demonstrated the new Siri abilities at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference using a video mock-up, despite having only a partially functional prototype at the time. Walker expressed regret over the situation, saying, “This was not one of these situations where we get to show people our plan after it’s done. We showed people before.”
The incident underscores the challenges tech companies face in balancing marketing efforts with product readiness. Walker revealed that Apple’s marketing communications department had pushed to promote the enhancements, leading to their inclusion in various campaigns starting last year. The features were even touted as a key selling point for the iPhone 16 line, which otherwise lacked major changes.
This premature marketing has now put Apple in a difficult position, with the company unable to deliver on its promises in the short term. Walker acknowledged that the delay might lead to feelings of anger, disappointment, and embarrassment among team members, but he urged them to focus on the progress they’ve made and their commitment to delivering a high-quality product.
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