You’ve likely heard “generative AI” a few times, thanks to the hugely popular ChatGPT.OpenAI’s AI-powered Chatbot was a huge success, not only because it brought attention to the company behind it but also because it catalyzed a tech arms race involving AI, a race that Apple is noticeably missing.
Google announced several AI-related initiatives at its annual developer’s conference earlier this month. These included a new AI version of its search engine and Bard, an AI-powered chatbot that is now being implemented around the globe.Not just Google.Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps, including Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, already included generative AI. This move has changed the way more than one billion people work.Meta released its own AI model in February with many of the capabilities found at ChatGPT, Bard and other open-source software.
What about Apple?
Apple is not participating in the current AI gold rush, even thoAI technology beingr many years.
Avi Greengart of Techsponential told CNET we are in the middle of the generative AI hype. “There are major developments every week,” Avi said.Apple can afford to be deliberate about how it uses new technologies to fit into its ecosystem.
Apple’s wait-and-see approach
Apple’s approach to emerging technologies has been to wait and see. This has worked well for the tech giant.The iPad was not the first tablet, but it’s still the best for many people, including CNET editors.Foldable phones are a more recent example of hardware innovation.Apple is the last major holdout. Google has beaten it to the punch.Google launched its first foldable phone in May at its developer conference – but it’s not been making phones as long as Apple.Rumours suggest that the iPhone Flip could be a foldable iPhone by 2025.
According to Tim Cook’s remarks, Apple is likely taking a similar approach to generative AI.During Apple’s May earnings call, Cook responded to a question about generative AI: “I think it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate in the way you approach these things.”There are a lot of things that need to get sorted out.AI is discussed in many different places.“But the potential is exciting.”
Apple’s AI technology is rapidly developing, which could put them far behind their rivals.Apple has been behind in specific categories despite its business success.For example, Apple’s HomePod smart speakers didn’t come out until years later than the Amazon Echo or Google Home smart speakers, which enjoy a much higher market share.
Apple isn’t the only company to be cautious about AI.Sam Altman, the CEO and founder of OpenAI, is also concerned about the future of AI.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman describes Microsoft’s AI partnership at a Bing search engine press event. Stephen Shankland/CNET Last Tuesday, speaking before a Senate subcommittee, Altman said he’s “eager” for artificial intelligence to be regulated. He also discussed the promise of artificial intelligence and its potential harm. “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,” he said. Altman’s comments followed calls by AI researchers and tech leaders, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, to pause the development of AI systems more potent than GPT-4 over concerns about runaway risks without sufficient guardrails. Geoffrey Hinton, credited as the “godfather of AI,” resigned from Google in May to freely share his concerns about the technology he helped create, which he says could cause the world serious harm.
Does generative AI fit into Apple’s business?
Although Apple hasn’t publicly entered the generative AI fight, a recent 9to5Mac report said that the iPhone maker is working on an upgrade to Siri, one that could improve the virtual assistant’s conversational abilities via ChatGPT-like AI concepts. Apple didn’t reply to a request for comment. While Apple hasn’t publicly discussed any plans for generative AI-based products, Cook did discuss the company’s focus on AI during its May earnings call. He cited AI-powered features like fall and crash detection, available on the latest iPhones and Apple Watches. “We view AI as huge,” he said. “We’ll continue weaving it into our products on a very thoughtful basis.” AI is far from a brand-new concept to Apple. Siri released 12 years ago, uses speech recognition and machine learning to understand a query and serve up an answer. In recent months, Apple debuted camera enhancements such as photographic styles and the ability to cut and paste a subject from an image, both of which depend on AI. In addition, Apple’s Macs and MacBooks, which now run on Apple-designed M1 and M2 chips, have dedicated neural engines with 16 cores aimed at AI and machine learning tasks. Apple says AI performs 40% faster than its old Intel chips. “You can expect that AI performance will become more and more important as more developers figure it out,” wrote CNET’s Stephen Shankland in a January article detailing Apple’s M2 chipset. But as Greengart highlights, it would make sense for Apple to bring the tech to certain products that extend beyond Siri and its current AI-powered offerings. “Apple likes to position itself at the intersection of technology and liberal arts,” Greengart emailed CNET. “Generative AI would fit nicely into tools and software that Apple provides for artistic and personal expression; that could include anything from GarageBand to photo editing to email across iPhones, iPads, and Mac.” However, a chatbot in the vein of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard is likely not in the books for Apple. The underlying technology behind those chatbots, known as large language models, has a high resource requirement for development. That means significant investment in computing resources, human talent and power, rendering it a possibility for massive enterprises with vast resources. While Apple presumably has those resources, it’ll have to be a worthwhile investment for the iPhone maker.
All eyes on WWDC
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which takes place on June 5, will be the focus of attention after Google dedicated a significant amount of time to generative AI during its conference earlier this month.Apple executives may reveal more about how Apple views generative AI and how it fits in with the more significant business.Apple usually introduces new software at WWDC for iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, etc. Apple may include more AI in these updates.
Apple has previewed several accessibility features expected to be included in its iOS 17 mobile OS.Personal Voice is one of the notable drops.After 15 minutes of training, it uses machine learning on the device to help users who risk losing their voice.It can speak out typed phrases and is compatible with FaceTime, phone calls and other features.
Apple’s mixed reality headset is more likely to be the focus of attention. It would be Apple’s first foray into a new hardware category since 2015.Bloomberg reported in January that the device would cost $3,000 and run on Apple’s M2 chipset. It’ll also have eye- and hands-tracking technology and a digital crown to switch between AR/VR modes.Apple’s latest device is likely to take advantage of AI technology that is rapidly developing.
Will Wong of the market research firm International Data told CNET that “generative AI” isn’t just about creating text but other content types like graphics.Apple will therefore be able to benefit from this area, particularly if an AR/VR device is added to its product line.
