Apple's struggles to modernize its artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant, Siri, have been well-documented in recent weeks. However, a leaked all-hands meeting has revealed the dire situation the company is facing in getting its promised features to market. The meeting, led by senior director Robby Walker, highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the release of the delayed features, which were initially announced last June.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Walker sympathized with employees who may be feeling burned out or frustrated by Apple's decisions, calling the delay an "ugly" situation. He also revealed that it's not a given that the missing Siri features will make it into iOS 19 this year, despite being the company's current target. "We have other commitments across Apple to other projects," Walker said. "We want to keep our commitments to those, and we understand those are now potentially more timeline-urgent than the features that have been deferred."

The meeting also hinted at tension between Apple's Siri unit and the marketing division. Walker stated that the communications team wanted to highlight features like Siri understanding personal context and being able to take action based on what's currently on a user's screen, despite these features being nowhere near ready. Early WWDC demos and the resulting customer expectations only made matters worse, Walker acknowledged. Apple has since pulled an iPhone 16 ad that showcased the features and has added disclaimers to several areas of its website noting they've all been punted to a TBD date.

Apple has not publicly commented on the situation beyond last week's statement, when it said the advanced Siri capabilities were "taking longer than expected." However, Walker told his staff that senior executives like software chief Craig Federighi and AI boss John Giannandrea are taking "intense personal accountability" for the predicament that's drawing fierce criticism as the months pass by with little to show for it beyond a prettier Siri animation.

Walker emphasized that customers are not only expecting the new features but also a more fully rounded-out Siri. "We're going to ship these features and more as soon as they are ready," he said. The delay has significant implications for Apple's AI ambitions, particularly as competitors like Google continue to make strides in the field.

The leaked meeting highlights the challenges Apple is facing in keeping up with its rivals in the AI race. The company's inability to deliver on its promised features has led to widespread criticism, and the uncertainty surrounding the release of these features has only added to the pressure. As Apple struggles to modernize Siri, it remains to be seen whether the company can regain its footing in the AI landscape.