With the explosive popularity of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, there have been rumors that Apple is working on its own AI product, and that some kind of "Apple GPT" artificial intelligence bot could launch in the future.
This guide highlights everything we know about Apple's experiments with AI, and it will be updated regularly as new rumors come out.
Internal Testing and Development
Apple's AI chief John Giannandrea is leading development on large language models within Apple, and Giannandrea reports directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Giannandrea established a team that works on conversational AI four years ago, and work has since ramped up.
For the last several months, Apple has been testing an "Apple GPT" rival that could compete with ChatGPT. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, work on AI is a priority for Apple, with the company designing an "Ajax" framework for large language models.
Apple has an internal chatbot that some engineers have been referring to as "Apple GPT," but Apple would not, of course, ever use that naming for a consumer product. Apple employees need special permission to use the chatbot, and its output cannot be used to develop new product features for customers. It is used for product prototyping and it is able to answer questions about the data that was used to train it.
Ajax is said to be more capable than the prior-generation ChatGPT 3.5, and it has been trained on more than 200 billion parameters. As of September 2023, OpenAI's newer models are more powerful than Ajax. Apple reportedly does not have a "clear strategy" for how it will create a generative AI product for consumers. Apple is experimenting with Siri enhancements, software that generates videos and images, and multimodal AI technology that works with images, videos, and text.
Apple is said to be spending millions of dollars a day on conversational AI research as training language models requires a lot of hardware. Apple is on track to spend more than $4 billion on AI servers in 2024.
"Ask" for AppleCare Support Advisors
Apple is testing a ChatGPT-style generative AI tool with its AppleCare support employees. Called "Ask," the tool is designed to generate responses to technical questions and provide information from Apple's internal knowledge base to speed up support replies.
The feature is in beta right now. Advisors can rate a provided question as helpful or unhelpful, and can ask up to five follow-up questions per topic. Apple says the Ask tool is useful for solving complex issues, and because it is pulling from Apple's internal knowledge base, Apple has told advisors that the information is factual, traceable, and useful.
AI for Siri
Apple's work on generative AI could eventually be incorporated into its Siri voice assistant. Apple in February 2023 held an AI summit and briefed employees on its large language model work.
Because of the way Siri is built, it may take Apple quite a bit of time to update its database to support new capabilities. Former Siri engineer John Burkey told The New York Times that Siri's "cumbersome design" means that adding new phrases requires rebuilding the Siri database, which can take up to six weeks each time, while more complicated features like search tools can take upwards of a year.
There are also privacy concerns that Apple needs to contend with to bring generative AI capabilities to Siri. Apple has always been more cautious than its competitors, putting privacy ahead of functionality, a decision that has caused Siri to lag behind Alexa, Google Assistant, and other voice-based personal assistant options.
The Information suggests that Apple is aiming to create a feature that would let Siri automate multi-step tasks, automatically performing tasks that are accomplished with Shortcuts today.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is aiming for a smarter version of Siri that's deeply integrated with AI. Apple is planning to update the way that Siri interacts with the Messages app, allowing users to field complex questions and auto-complete sentences more effectively.
Rumors suggest that Siri will have better natural conversation capabilities and improved user personalization. The new functionality will be available across device, so Siri may retain conversation information from one device to another.
AI for Apps
Apple is rumored to be planning to add AI to as many Apple apps as possible. In Apple Music, for example, Apple could use AI to create auto-generated playlists, while in Xcode, AI support could help developers write and troubleshoot code.
In Pages and Keynote, AI could be used for writing and creating slide decks, while Apple's internal customer support apps could be updated with generative AI to assist with AppleCare.
Apple's full generative AI vision will take time to fully scale, so the complete suite of AI features that Apple has planned might not arrive until 2025.
On-Device AI
The first AI features coming to the iPhone with iOS 18 will run entirely on-device using the iPhone's hardware rather than relying on a cloud server. Apple may add new capabilities in the future through a potential partnership, but on-device AI will be the focus to begin with.
News and Publisher Deals
Apple wants to partner with major publishers to get permission to use their content for AI training purposes.
So far, Apple has approached Condé Nast, NBC News, and IAC about possible AI deals. Condé Nast publications include Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, Ars Technica, Glamour, The New Yorker, GQ, and more, while IAC owns publications like People, The Spruce, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, and Better Homes & Gardens.
Proposed deals have been worth at least $50 million, and would al... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: Apple GPT: What We Know About Apple's Work on Generative AI
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- https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-gpt/
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