Artificial intelligence has integrated into our daily lives to make things easier, more efficient, and, in many cases, more interesting. However, AI doesn’t have to replace us. Apple gets this, but perhaps Google does not.
Just Because AI Is Within Reach, Doesn't Mean It's Better to Use It
This thought comes from an advertisement Google published on their YouTube channel (now retired). In it, we see a father helping his daughter write a letter to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, an Olympic athlete the girl deeply admires. Instead of promoting a genuine human connection, Google’s tool suggests drafting a letter that, while efficient, lacks the authenticity and warmth that should characterize a message of this nature.
It’s true that a commercial isn’t proof of anything, and we’re not here to criticize Google or Gemini, its AI, but it’s clear that Apple has maintained a more cautious and thoughtful approach to AI. If we look at the Apple Intelligence features coming to iOS 18.1, Apple’s AI is positioned as a tool ready to complement our work, not replace it.
We can certainly use both tools to send a template letter to our favorite athlete, but the question is, should we?
Shifting slightly, in Apple’s design and development philosophy, the company has shown time and again that just because a certain technology can be implemented, doesn’t mean it should be. Just because we have AI at our disposal doesn’t mean the letter we’re going to write will be better if we use it.
Google’s example with Gemini AI points to a place where AI writes our letters, creates our art, and essentially handles our personal interactions. Is this what we want? As I said, a simple ad is not the full message, yet it grabs attention.
Now that Apple Intelligence is preparing to land on our iPhone, iPad, and Mac, though it won't arrive in Europe this year, and to integrate even more into our daily lives and facilitate writing and communication, the question arises: why should I use AI when writing a letter to my favorite athlete? To check for spelling or expression errors, certainly. To see if there’s a sentence that can be improved or is too convoluted, sure. To write it? Probably not.
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