Apple Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit alleging false advertising and unfair competition related to the delayed rollout of its “Apple Intelligence” AI features. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, claims Apple misled consumers by promoting AI capabilities that were not available at the launch of the iPhone 16, leading to inflated expectations and unnecessary upgrades.
The complaint asserts that Apple’s marketing campaigns “saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves,” creating a reasonable expectation among consumers that the advertised AI features would be readily available.
This marketing push, the lawsuit argues, generated significant excitement and drove sales, as Apple strategically aimed to differentiate itself in the competitive AI market.
However, the lawsuit contends that the delivered products offered a “significantly limited or entirely absent version of Apple Intelligence,” thus deceiving consumers about the actual utility and performance of the devices. The plaintiffs further claim that Apple continued to promote these overstated AI capabilities even after acknowledging delays, exacerbating the misleading impact on consumers.
The lawsuit highlights Apple’s removal of a specific ad campaign showcasing Siri’s AI capabilities from YouTube, yet criticizes the company for failing to retract similar false representations across other platforms since the summer of 2024.
Timothy Giordano, a partner at Clarkson Law Firm, representing the plaintiffs, stated, “Consumers are excited about AI, and unfortunately that has led to Big Tech overpromising and underdelivering.” The plaintiffs, led by customer Peter Landsheft, argue that Apple “took advantage of consumers’ desire for cutting-edge artificial intelligence software and features on their phones,” without delivering on its promises.
This legal challenge comes as Apple struggles to keep pace with AI advancements from competitors like Amazon and Google. The company has already announced that enhancements to Siri, initially planned for this year, have been postponed until 2026.
Luc Julia, a co-designer of Siri, previously suggested that Apple’s pursuit of perfection might be hindering their progress in AI development. “They are falling behind because of this fear of not being perfect,” Julia commented.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for customers who purchased Apple products based on the promise of advanced AI features. The case underscores the growing scrutiny of tech companies’ AI marketing practices and the legal ramifications of unfulfilled promises in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Related topics:
