The plot twist? Apple quietly removes "Available Now" from its Apple Intelligence page

Following the NAD report, Apple removed the "Available Now" claim for Apple Intelligence that was associated with the iPhone 16 launch.

Image: Apple

In a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the undisputed champion in the tech arena, and every major player is vying for dominance, Apple finds itself navigating a fiercely competitive landscape. Now, a recent, subtle move by the Silicon Valley giant – the removal of the phrase "Available Now" from its Apple Intelligence page – has ignited a debate about the company's AI ambitions and potential future trajectory.

This quiet removal of the "Available Now" claim for Apple Intelligence wasn't a random act. It stems directly from a recent inquiry by the National Advertising Division (NAD), a crucial arm of the nonprofit BBB National Programs. The NAD acts as a watchdog, ensuring truthfulness in advertising campaigns. Apple's AI initiative, Apple Intelligence, came under NAD's scrutiny due to the discrepancy between the advertised immediate availability of certain features and their actual staggered release.

 Despite the "Available Now" banner prominently displayed at the launch of the iPhone 16 last September, key Apple AI features were not immediately accessible, leading the NAD to recommend that "Apple Inc. modify or discontinue advertising claims regarding the availability of certain features associated with the launch of its AI-powered Apple Intelligence tool in the U.S."

Screenshot of Apple's previous "Available Now" claim for AI features. Image: TechBird via Wayback Machine.

The NAD specifically highlighted features touted as immediately available under the Apple Intelligence umbrella at the iPhone 16 launch that were, in fact, not. These included Priority Notifications, the creative Image Generation tools like Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand, the highly anticipated ChatGPT integration into Siri, and the Writing Tools. These features saw a phased rollout in the months following the initial launch. The prominent "Available Now" term misleadingly suggested their immediate accessibility. 

Even the new Siri capabilities, such as onscreen awareness, personal context, and cross-app actions, which remain unavailable, were initially implied to be part of the launch. Consequently, the NAD announced it would treat claims related to the discontinued "More Personal Siri" video as recommended for discontinuation, following Apple's confirmation of its removal.

While Apple did provide some information about feature availability in descriptions and footnotes, the NAD deemed these details insufficient – "neither sufficiently clear and conspicuous nor close to the triggering claims." In response to the NAD's findings, Apple issued an advertiser statement, stating, "While we disagree with the NAD’s findings related to features that are available to users now, we appreciate the opportunity to work with them and will follow their recommendations."

This development leaves many iPhone users pondering a crucial question: Is Apple's AI race faltering before it truly begins, or is this merely a minor setback in a larger, more strategic plan? The future hinges on how swiftly and effectively Apple introduces the full suite of AI features within Apple Intelligence. Uncertainty also looms over the "More Personalized Siri," suggesting potential challenges in its implementation. While there's a glimmer of hope for a broader release in 2025, time is ticking.

The battle for AI dominance continues, but the immediate challenge for Apple is ensuring the timely and accurate delivery of its promised iOS 18 features and beyond. The underlying reason for this apparent rush in developing AI features – whether due to a misjudgment of market trends or other factors – remains a subject of speculation.