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MacRumors last month revealed an upcoming Support Assistant feature in the Apple Support app, and now there is further evidence of it.

Apple-Support-App-General-Feature.jpg

Apple recently updated its website with Terms of Use for the Support Assistant, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The page confirms that the feature will be a ChatGPT-like chat tool powered by generative AI, with customers able to receive generated answers to their questions about various Apple products and services.

You can already chat with a human in the Apple Support app, whereas this tool will be a bot.

"Support Assistant uses generative models," says Apple's Terms of Use. "You understand and agree that generative models may occasionally generate incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs."

Apple says the tool is for technical support only.

Apple last updated its Support app on July 15, which is the same date listed in the Terms of Use. To the best of our knowledge, however, the Support Assistant has yet to launch. There is precedent for Apple updating its Legal page about a feature before it launches, but leave a comment if you find the Support Assistant.

The feature will likely be available in the U.S. only, at least initially, as the Terms of Use have not been published in any other countries.

Update — 9:45 a.m. Pacific Time: Some users have access to an "Early Preview" of the feature.

Article Link: Apple Support App to Offer New ChatGPT-Like Feature [Updated]
 
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Any major LLM in the world can already answer questions about Apple products. Unless this can access your account to answer specific issues about it, the LLM that you already use is probably more convenient.

But I guess it's a start for them? First step toward bigger things?
 
I certainly hope that this does not lead to job losses in the long run. Perhaps Apple will carefully assess the situation before making any decisions regarding their workforce.
AI is certainly going to lead job losses for this type of thing. Had a guy at work have trouble with his MacBook Pro, restarted during an OS update. AI diagnosed and fixed the issue in seconds after I added in what was happening. Gave a solution and away he went. It is already a tool being used by many and what I go to before even touching Google. "Just google it" is going a phrase that is going to go the way of the Dodo bird.
 
Robots and automation have significantly reduced and changed the labor force in manufacturing. The old school, human puts screw in car door at a livable wage, gone and will not return. The tools are moving towards the so called white collar jobs now. Example right here.
 
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It can't be worse than https://communities.apple.com/.
Every answer an that site is basically:

- Update your system
- Reset SMC
- Reinstall everything, we don't care if you lose your data

😅

Sounds like Microsoft support community site, every fault seems to get the same copy pasted “answer” filled with useless advice from a user with more awards under their username than a North Korean General has medals.
 
This trend sucks. Tried to get a human yesterday at uber and it was impossible.

My question was on car seats. The bot didn't have any info on that. Found a link on their website on car seats. (404 error).
Found a phone number online (we no longer accept phone calls)
E-mailed investor relations (we will only reply to investing questions)

frustrating as hell.
 
"You understand and agree that generative models may occasionally generate incorrect, misleading, incomplete, offensive, or harmful outputs."

This is the opposite of quality and it’s sad to see them go in this direction.

Apple may be behind in AI but technical support (when users are already frustrated) seems like a bad place to test it.
 
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First things first: could Apple AI please do the following:

1. “ hey Siri, please change my calendar’s doctors appointment that I have on Wednesday to next week Friday at 2:30 on my calendar “

2. “ hey Siri please proofread this document or this selected text and just make grammar and spelling corrections.”

For some reason, Apple AI can do neither of these functions.
 
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First things first: could Apple AI please do the following:

1. “ hey Siri, please change my calendar’s doctors appointment that I have on Wednesday to next week Friday at 2:30 on my calendar “

2. “ hey Siri please proofread this document or this selected text and just make grammar and spelling corrections.”

For some reason, Apple AI can do neither of these functions.

I would be over the moon if Siri can add a simple appointment instead of changing one. Most of the time even that already fails.
 
Just last week, I was seeing some issue with my daughter's iPad that was pretty clearly linked to Screen Time. I was unable to remedy on my own, or with hepl from the online community, so I placed a call to Apple. Vuai the automated menu, I uncharacteristically agreed to txt-based assistance via Messages. I have to say, I found the experince ridiculously impressive. First, it was an actual human on the other end. Not only did they confirm this (sure AI can do that too), but the detail and nuance of our conversation ruled out any AI I've encountered to date. The process was super clean, intuitive, and effective - turn out, it was an issue Apple's end.

Based on that experience, and with other AI-based CRM I've used, I'll be curious to see how Apple's implementation works. I put a hand up for maintaining a human component and maybe (at first) even offering the option in the automated menu to either try the new AI or work with a human.
 
This trend sucks. Tried to get a human yesterday at uber and it was impossible.

My question was on car seats. The bot didn't have any info on that. Found a link on their website on car seats. (404 error).
Found a phone number online (we no longer accept phone calls)
E-mailed investor relations (we will only reply to investing questions)

frustrating as hell.
I agree

The fact we have to jump through so many hoops even with online chat with these companies is such a joke

If I just want to talk to a human right away, just let me get right to a human gosh darnit
 
I have yet to find any support chatbot, on any site, from any company, that ever actually helps or adds value. It's just a friction point until I can get to a human who actually has a brain.

I've started just swearing at the bots, it's the only way to get past some of them.
 
Don't know how useful this will be. Have to use and try it out! Also don't know why it is limited to US only.
 
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