Apple Intelligence and similar AI features are turning smartphones into bloated devices that don't serve users well. Smartphone manufacturers are cramming AI into every corner of their interfaces, often without considering whether these additions actually improve the user experience.

The author distinguishes between two types of AI: reactive machine AI that works with current data without memory, and memory-based AI that learns from user interactions. Reactive AI powers genuinely useful features like spam filtering, camera scene detection, and accessibility tools that work immediately without needing to know your personal history.

Memory-based features like Face ID and adaptive battery charging show AI can be helpful when it solves real problems. However, many new AI additions fall into the "bad" or "ugly" categories—features that either don't work well or serve such niche purposes that they shouldn't exist at all. The smartphone industry needs to ask whether each AI feature actually helps users accomplish something meaningful, rather than simply checking the AI box for marketing purposes.