Apple is currently dealing with the consequences of its choice to postpone the “more personalized Siri,” which was first revealed last summer in connection with Apple Intelligence. According to Axios, the company is now facing a federal lawsuit claiming that its promotion of the now-delayed Apple Intelligence features amounts to false advertising and unfair competition.
Apple Intelligence Lawsuit
Apple Intelligence has been pivotal in marketing the iPhone 16, with advertisements highlighting features such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and a Siri that includes personal context. Following the announcement of the delay, Apple removed its YouTube ad for the more personalized Siri and updated its website with new disclaimers regarding the availability of that feature.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs argue that Apple’s advertising “flooded the internet, television, and other platforms, creating a clear expectation among consumers that these innovative features would be available when the iPhone launched.”
Moreover:
Despite the Defendant’s assertions about advanced AI capabilities, the Products offered a substantially limited or entirely absent version of Apple Intelligence, misleading consumers regarding its actual functionality and performance. Furthermore, the Defendant marketed its Products based on these exaggerated AI features, leading consumers to believe they were buying devices equipped with non-existent or materially misrepresented capabilities.
While the plaintiffs note that Apple has removed the ad for the personalized Siri from YouTube, they emphasize that the company “has yet to retract all the similarly misleading claims prevalent in the market since the Summer of 2024, nor have they taken steps to adequately rectify the situation for consumers impacted by their widespread misleading actions.”
The lawsuit asserts that the promotion of Apple Intelligence features “generated unprecedented enthusiasm” as Apple sought to “encourage consumers to upgrade at a premium price.”
This lawsuit was submitted on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, with unspecified damages sought for individuals who purchased devices that were supposed to support Apple Intelligence features. Notably, as Axios reports, the lawsuit is filed by Clarkson Law Firm, the same firm that previously litigated against Google and OpenAI over their AI-related claims.
Do you think the lawsuit against Apple regarding its failed Apple Intelligence launch is warranted? Share your thoughts in the comments.
You can find the full lawsuit details over at Axios.
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