Apple faces legal battle over unfulfilled AI promises in latest iPhones
A federal class-action complaint has been filed against Apple for allegedly misleading customers about the artificial intelligence features of its most recent iPhone models. According to the lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, Apple deceitfully promoted its "Apple Intelligence" features, causing consumers to buy iPhones under false pretenses, Kazinform News Agency reports.
A complaint was filed by plaintiff Peter Landsheft on behalf of all affected consumers. The complaint alleges that Apple's marketing campaign for the iPhone 16 series prominently featured enhanced AI-driven functionalities, with a particular emphasis on enhancements to its Siri digital assistant.
The lawsuit argues that ‘Apple deceived millions of consumers into purchasing new phones they did not need based on features that do not exist, in violation of multiple false advertising and consumer protection laws.’
According to the complaint, "Apple’s advertisements saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves to cultivate a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone’s release."
The lawsuit claims that Apple misled consumers, including plaintiff Landsheft, into purchasing Apple Intelligence-capable devices, such as the iPhone 16 series, by falsely advertising AI features that were not actually present.
"As a result, Apple charged consumers for Products they would not have purchased, or at least not at its premium price, had the advertising been honest. Beyond exploiting unsuspecting consumers, Apple also gained an unfair advantage over competitors in the market who do not tout non-existent AI features, or who actually deliver them as promised," the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit accuses Apple of violating multiple California consumer protection laws, while also alleging fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract.
Earlier it was reported that Apple announced the iPhone 16e, a lower-cost addition to its iPhone 16 lineup, featuring Apple Intelligence tools.
