Last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was marked with great anticipation, with Apple promising groundbreaking steps into artificial intelligence that positioned it to compete directly with Google and OpenAI. The demonstrations at the event stirred enthusiasm, showcasing Apple’s vision for advanced on-device AI, an enhanced version of Siri, and sophisticated tools designed to empower developers. However, one year later, that promise remains largely unmet, leaving both developers and consumers frustrated.
Throughout the past year, Apple’s ambitions in the AI field have notably faltered. Key projects, including the personalized AI assistant that was supposed to revolutionize user interaction with apps, have faced significant development delays. As Apple built its AI strategy around the promise of this next-generation Siri, its postponement has left a critical void in the company’s AI narrative.
The troubled rollout of Apple’s AI features also impacted the developer community. Apple Intelligence, the company’s newly introduced AI framework, stumbled with a staggered deployment marked by technical issues and reliability concerns. This instability greatly restricted developers’ capacity to integrate advanced AI functionality into their apps. For users, who were promised a new level of intuitive interaction and automation, these limitations translated to a disappointing experience. Moreover, Apple’s struggles have underscored concerns about how competitive its AI offerings truly are compared to rapidly evolving systems from rivals such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
Consequently, expectations for this year’s WWDC are notably more reserved. Instead of anticipating revolutionary breakthroughs, developers now hope Apple will achieve incremental progress—more consistent AI integration within native apps, better and more reliable developer tools, and overdue improvements to Apple’s AI framework. Few anticipate significant leaps forward concerning Siri.
Perhaps Apple’s greatest potential now lies in facilitating AI-driven app development. The rise of popular code-generation platforms such as Cursor, Bolt.new, and Replit has demonstrated that developers—and even those with little technical background—can quickly and efficiently create and launch complex applications. Many AI-based products like ChatGPT have also found enormous success through web-first launch strategies, emphasizing an area where Apple must improve.
Recent industry trends further emphasize the shift toward more accessible platforms. Tools such as WordPress, Hostinger, Canva, and Figma have recently boosted their capabilities through AI integrations, enabling even complete novices to create apps using plain-language instructions and automation. To remain relevant and competitive, Apple will need to modernize its own AI tooling similarly, providing users straightforward pathways to innovate and develop within its ecosystem.
Currently, several crucial announcements Apple has made remain incomplete or unfulfilled. Swift Assist, a promising AI coding assistant previewed last year, has yet to see broad public release. Likewise, reports suggest Apple is collaborating with Anthropic on AI-based programming tools aimed at simplifying software creation processes. Apple also hinted at opening developer access to its proprietary AI models—a move aimed at significantly reducing the entry barriers for developers both seasoned and new.
Against this backdrop, Apple faces heightened regulatory scrutiny that threatens critical revenue streams from its App Store. A recent ruling by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dictates that Apple can no longer restrict app developers from linking to payment methods outside the App Store, effectively eliminating Apple’s ability to collect fees on off-platform digital purchases. This court order has significant implications, compelling developers to encourage consumers to pay elsewhere, potentially at reduced prices, thus risking substantial App Store revenue losses.
Given these mounting pressures, Apple is tasked urgently with bolstering the value and appeal of its ecosystem to developers. Developers’ enthusiasm and loyalty are crucial for sustaining and enhancing Apple’s commercial viability, especially in the changing legal and economic landscape.
As WWDC 2025 approaches, Apple must confront two critical challenges simultaneously: first, it must successfully address the glaring deficiencies in its AI strategy, offering substantial, reliable improvements that can effectively support developers in creating engaging apps; second, it must navigate an increasingly volatile regulatory environment that complicates its longstanding revenue model. For Apple to maintain dominance in a technological landscape now deeply shaped by AI, it cannot afford further missteps. This year, more than ever, Apple must deliver tangible results on its ambitious AI promises if it hopes to reassure developers, excite consumers, and remain relevant in the rapidly evolving tech ecosystem.
