Apple‘s advertising of its AI features has run afoul of the Better Business Bureau’s watchdog division, highlighting the tension between aggressive tech marketing and actual product readiness. The National Advertising Division has recommended Apple modify claims about feature availability, particularly those labeled “Available Now” that were actually rolled out gradually over several months. This scrutiny comes at a particularly challenging time for Apple, which faces delays in its much-hyped Siri upgrades while trying to catch up in the competitive AI landscape.
The big picture: The Better Business Bureau’s advertising division has recommended Apple modify some of its Apple Intelligence marketing claims that gave the impression features were immediately available when they weren’t.
- The watchdog took issue with Apple using an “Available Now” label across its Apple Intelligence webpage and iPhone 16 marketing materials when many features were actually rolled out gradually between October 2024 and March 2025.
- The division also found Apple’s footnotes and fine-print disclosures weren’t clear or prominent enough to correct the misleading impression created by the main marketing claims.
Key features in question: Apple’s marketing suggested several advanced AI tools were immediately available at the iPhone 16 launch in September, when they actually arrived months later.
- The delayed features included priority notifications, Image Playground, Genmoji, Image Wand, and ChatGPT integration with Siri.
- The most significant delay involves the “More Personal Siri” upgrades, including smarter on-screen awareness and cross-app actions, which Apple acknowledged were not yet available.
Apple’s response: The company has cooperated with the voluntary review but disagrees with some of the findings.
- “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,” Apple stated.
- Apple has already pulled its “More Personal Siri” video and updated promotional materials to reflect the delayed status of certain features.
Why this matters: This advertising scrutiny highlights the challenges tech companies face when marketing cutting-edge AI capabilities that are still in development.
- Apple’s legendary marketing approach, which previously produced iconic campaigns like “1984” and “Think Different,” works best when products are actually ready for prime time.
- The BBB’s review serves as a caution to technology companies rushing to promote AI features that may not be fully realized at the time of marketing.
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