Apple Intelligence Faces Unexpected Developer Resistance, Says Tech Analyst
"I don't think they're interested in this," says prominent tech reviewer Marques Brownlee about Apple's developer community and their likely response to Apple Intelligence features. "If I'm a developer for Uber and this new Siri is supposed to be able to reach into my app and perform an action like calling a car... I don't actually like that very much. That gives me less control."
End of Miles reports that while Apple's AI struggles have centered on missed deadlines and deleted commercials, a potentially more significant obstacle has emerged: the company's own developer ecosystem may be reluctant to embrace features that bypass their carefully crafted user experiences.
The developer dilemma
In his recent analysis of Apple's AI challenges, Brownlee highlighted a fundamental tension in Apple's vision for intelligence features. The tech analyst noted that while deep app integration through a more capable Siri would benefit users, it creates a conflict of interest for developers who lose control over how users interact with their services.
"Just think if I'm Uber, if I'm a developer for Uber and this new Siri is supposed to be able to reach into my app and perform an action, like calling a car, so the user just goes, 'Hey Siri, call me an Uber to the airport,' and then it does it without ever opening my app? I don't actually like that very much." Marques Brownlee
The popular YouTuber pointed out that this resistance represents a significant departure from Apple's typical product rollout strategy. Historically, Apple has relied on enthusiastic developer adoption to drive new platform features, but with Apple Intelligence, the dynamics are reversed.
A reversal of Apple's usual advantages
"With software, Apple's usually able to just rely on their massive, enthusiastic army of developers to support things and give it a kickstart and get it off the ground to get people using it," explains Brownlee. "And with this, it's kind of the opposite."
The tech analyst's observations highlight how Apple's traditional strengths don't translate well to the AI landscape. While the company has successfully leveraged its developer ecosystem to establish new technologies like ARKit and Swift, intelligence features that bypass apps potentially threaten rather than enhance developer opportunities.
"That gives me less control. I don't get to do as much with that experience, even though it would be really cool for the end user." Brownlee on developer perspective
Beyond technical challenges
This developer resistance compounds Apple's already significant technical hurdles with AI implementation. The Stanford graduate notes that Apple's difficulty with shipping promised intelligence features extends beyond engineering problems to ecosystem alignment.
According to Brownlee, Apple faces a three-pronged challenge: technical delays in delivering functional AI features, business model tensions between hardware sales and AI services, and now resistance from the very developers needed to make these features useful in real-world contexts.
The tech reviewer's analysis suggests that even if Apple eventually delivers on its technical promises for Siri and other intelligence features, convincing developers to implement deep integrations may prove equally challenging – creating what could be an overlooked but critical obstacle to Apple's AI ambitions.
