The iPhone’s Game-Changing Moment: Will Apple Repeat History with AI?
When he revealed the iPhone, on January 9, 2007 — seventeen years ago this week — Steve jobs unleashed a technology revolution. I feel we are on the cusp of the same sort of thing with AI today. The question is, will Apple be the pacesetter again?
Jobs famously said, “a lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
That’s how I was before the iPhone was unveiled. I was absolutely content with my “Pocket PC”, as they were marketed. I felt like this brick-like device, with its limited connectivity, sliding QWERTY keyboard, and very limited battery life was the ultimate in technology.
But, then the iPhone came along and I, like the rest of the world, was blown away! Jobs was right, we didn’t know what we wanted, because we couldn’t have imagined what an iPhone was.
A Huge Gamble
Jobs and Apple totally disrupted the phone industry. In fact, Steve Jobs was so sure of his vision, he convinced a Texas Tech University Alumnus, Ed Whitacre, at the time the Chairman and CEO of AT&T, to enter into an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Apple for the iPhone.
At the time, Jobs sold Whitacre on the deal, there wasn’t even a drawing of the phone or a prototype. Just a dream described by Steve Jobs.
Can Apple Do It Again?
Introduced in 2011, Siri was Apple’s answer to a “virtual assistant.” However, let’s face it, Siri’s capabilities are underwhelming, reminiscent of the limitations of my old Pocket PC. It’s functional, but not awe inspiring.
As excitedly content as I found myself with the Pocket PC clipped to my belt in 2006–07, I feel similar with ChatGPT today. I use it all the time and see if as an eager intern helping me gather research and write first drafts, which I need to closely edit.
Apple Can Put Siri on Steroids
What I am hoping is this: Apple will take AI, and their own version of “ChatGPT”, and imbed it in Siri. They will literally put Siri on steroids and turn it into a full-fledged assistant.
I can only imagine what it would be like to have the backing of the Apple ecosystem partnered with a digital assistant. It is exciting to consider, especially with Apple’s commitment and passion for privacy and safety.
We can only hope that Tim Cook and his crew are channeling some of the Steve Jobs magic, even now, in coming up with a way to give us something we can’t even imagine.
We are at a threshold, I feel, on something really big and Apple has a chance to leap us forward yet again. Looking back on the gamble he took with Steve Jobs and Apple, Ed Whitacre said, “I guess we were lucky.”
I hope Apple dives headfirst into AI, enhancing Siri beyond what we know today. By pairing AI’s potential with Apple’s resources and legendary commitment to user privacy and safety, exciting things will happen. Apple can be “lucky” yet again, showing us what we didn’t even know was possible.
