Apple Inc.’s top executive overseeing its Siri virtual assistant told staff that delays to key features have been ugly and embarrassing, and a decision to publicly promote the technology before it was ready made matters worse.

Apple finds itself under increasing scrutiny as its efforts to combine Siri and artificial intelligence continue to lag. The company has officially

A top Apple executive labeled the company’s AI delays “ugly and embarrassing.” Apple’s stock fell 16% this year through Thursday’s close, while Palantir led a