Tim Cook: 'We Don't Buy' the Need to Give Up Privacy for AI

[gnipgnop]

Privacy in 2016 is an illusion, sadly, but Apple's stance on privacy while admirable has put them behind. The likes of Google (do no evil - ) and Amazon have no qualms and have rolled out superior products and in Amazon case, beat apple to the home.

Amazon has a superior product? That's a new one.
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have you used it? Do you mind to share your experience with Google Assistant or Alexa?

That's the main issue. People don't actually use it regularly, so they don't really know what it can do. That's the reason so many people incorrectly claim that Siri can't do "context" etc.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

Privacy in 2016 is an illusion, sadly, but Apple's stance on privacy while admirable has put them behind. The likes of Google (do no evil - ) and Amazon have no qualms and have rolled out superior products and in Amazon case, beat apple to the home.

Always a negative conspiracy theorist.

 

[peterdevries]

Good. If that's the tradeoff, I'll take inherent privacy over a few more features when I choose to talk to my phone. Any day of the week.

I agree also, although it would be nice if Apple would think about the following not too difficult things:

• Provide some basic Siri functionality offline - not EVERYTHING needs to be computed centrally
• Work on basic accuracy: "Play Pink Floyd" too often results in "I do not see a location called Buckinghamshire near you, would you like me to look on the internet?".

 

[MacBH928]

I don't like Tim Apple became just an iPhone company with him, but I like him for his believe in privacy

 

[maflynn]

Amazon has a superior product? That's a new one.

What does Apple have that compete with the Echo? Apple was caught flat footed on this, even though they were pushing the home automation thing. No matter how you slice it, the Echo does what Apple should have done years ago.

Always a negative conspiracy theorist.

Not a conspiracy theorist, just a realist. Its so easy to uncover personal details on almost anyone, in 2016. Simple as that

 

[Hanzu Lao]

What does Apple have that compete with the Echo? Apple was caught flat footed on this, even though they were pushing the home automation thing. No matter how you slice it, the Echo does what Apple should have done years ago.

If i got a penny every time a hear this ...

 

[gnipgnop]

No matter how you slice it, the Echo does what Apple should have done years ago.

Order a bottle of detergent from the Amazon warehouse?

 

[BootsWalking]

Fortunately, they clearly know that privacy will be what defines them from everyone else, and that they did not get to be the world's largest and most highly valued tech company, by invading users' privacy so there's no need to start now.

Apple gets $1B/year from Google to let them be the default search engine on the iPhone so the reality is that Apple did partly become the most valued tech company by allowing their users' privacy to be invaded.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

I don't like Tim Apple became just an iPhone company with him, but I like him for his believe in privacy

Do you know when Mac was born? The date? Or iPhone? Do you think the next big thing just happens? Please educate yourself.

 

[Muzzakus]

So we will never have compative AI from Apple because of reasons?

So where does that leave those off us with Apple devices who feel advancement in AI is the next big thing and needs to be a priority?

 

[phpmaven]

More mullarkey from Tim. Apple's privacy stance is precisely what's been holding Siri back from being useful in any meaningful way. I get far more accurate results with Google Now/Assistant & Amazon's Alexa than I ever have using Siri. At this point Siri is more of a hindrance than a useful tool.

Nonsense. While Siri is far from perfect and has its limitations, I use it every day and find it an invaluable tool in my life. Google now is better at some things, I will agree with that, but since I rely on Apple's ecosystem for my reminders/productivity/entertainment, its of limited use to me.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

So we will never have compative AI from Apple because of reasons?

So where does that leave those off us with Apple devices who feel advancement in AI is the next big thing and needs to be a priority?

Cook said that to get AI you don't have to sacrifice your privacy. It will probably take more thinking and work, but it can be achieved.

 

[maflynn]

If i got a penny every time a hear this ...

You'd have lots and lots of pennies, because the fact is, Amazon has a product that is very popular and Apple doesn't (at the moment)

 

[apolloa]

I think people need to read the privacy policy.

Here is just an extract of non-personal data, aka , they remove the Apple ID.

Google only collects a subset of this . In most cases google only gets as far as the first bullet point.

I love the last bullet point....

• We may collect information such as occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, referrer URL, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used so that we can better understand customer behavior and improve our products, services, and advertising.
• We may collect information regarding customer activities on our website, iCloud services, our iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, App Store for Apple TV and iBooks Stores and from our other products and services. This information is aggregated and used to help us provide more useful information to our customers and to understand which parts of our website, products, and services are of most interest. Aggregated data is considered non‑personal information for the purposes of this Privacy Policy.
• We may collect and store details of how you use our services, including search queries. This information may be used to improve the relevancy of results provided by our services. Except in limited instances to ensure quality of our services over the Internet, such information will not be associated with your IP address.
• With your explicit consent, we may collect data about how you use your device and applications in order to help app developers improve their apps.

With 'your explicit consent' which is when you click on Agree twice on Apples updates or when you install an app or agree to an apps user agreement..

And APPLE will share this information with others INCLUDING Google. Yes it's more a lack of understanding and Apples marketing hype then complete hypocrisy I think as to why people 'believe' Apple has their privacy at heart.

 

[Hanzu Lao]

You'd have lots and lots of pennies, because the fact is, Amazon has a product that is very popular and Apple doesn't (at the moment)

Please don't invoke "facts" when it's only your opinion.

 

[WeatherMate]

Siri is quite a useful voice assistance and apple has added new features of siri in IOS 10. In the IOS 10, siri support is added in the third party apps like Whats app etc. Allowing the third party app support in SIRI can cause security issues. But i agree that the AI can surely enhance the user experience but if it cause security concerns then the phone is better without the AI.

 

[BootsWalking]

You've been duped. Google and Amazon tell you that they need to invade your privacy to deliver better results (though they say it in a nicer way!) because their business model is 100% based on selling your personal data to advertisers, which they can't do otherwise. This is not the case for Apple, and it is their absolute competitive advantage that Google, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter etc have no way of competing with. It is entirely to Apple's advantage to protect your privacy, for real, in everything they do. It may mean that it makes Apple's job harder, but correspondingly, it's not something they can afford to undermine either.

Except Apple makes $1B/year by allowing Google to trample over iPhone users' privacy so this argument has no merit.

 

[2010mini]

Excuse my ignorance, but someone explain why giving up privacy equals a better Siri? How does that help contextual queries?

For example if I ask "what will be the temperature at 7pm near Golden Gate Bridge?"

Or

"what family friendly movies are playing near home tonight?" And then ask after that "get me tickets for ______ at the 6pm showing"

Why would my privacy need to be used for such things?

 

[otternonsense]

I don't buy Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple.

 

[BornAgainMac]

When I first saw this heading, I was thinking that Tim Cook saw the "Don't Buy" rating for the Macs and it pissed him off.

 

[gnasher729]

Excuse my ignorance, but someone explain why giving up privacy equals a better Siri? How does that help contextual queries?

For example if I ask "what will be the temperature at 7pm near Golden Gate Bridge?"

Or

"what family friendly movies are playing near home tonight?" And then ask after that "get me tickets for ______ at the 6pm showing"

Why would my privacy need to be used for such things?

Well, if you ask "what family friendly movies are playing near home tonight?" then Siri needs to know where "home" is. For good privacy, this _might_ be sent from your phone with the request and forgotten by Apple as soon as it knows the answer. With bad privacy, Apple would know who you are, where your home is, would know that you booked tickets for a certain show at a certain theatre today at 6pm and store that information forever. Then next week you would be reminded "you went to a family friendly movie last week, would you like to watch another one today". With really, really bad privacy, the info goes to a burglar who paid $100 for the answer to "which people nearby have bought tickets to the 6pm theatre performance".

 

[reyesmac]

A Wikileaks release shows and Apple employee stating that Apple has a team working 24 hours a day giving governments and other countries information about their users and their phones. And that they accept thousands of requests to give up this info every month. Apple can make it harder for the average joe to jailbreak their phones and harder for thieves to resell stolen phones but it plays ball with whatever country wants the information on your phone. So they can get off their high horse and just say they think different on security and leave it at that since they wont come right out and tell us the scale of just how much info is being released on its users.

 

[kerrikins]

So to you that illusion of anonymity and that creepy feeling is more important than being notified if there's an accident ahead of you, if the plane of someone you are waiting for is delayed, or (in a couple of years) being automatically notified if someone you care about has had an accident and could need your help.

I'm guessing when there is one of those tubes in the road that is getting stats on how many cars are passing you must make a U turn and change your route so that your metrics can't be accounted for. And all those cameras in ATMs, malls, and basically everywhere must make you feel really uncomfortable. /s

I get that we all have priorities and preferences, but like I said AIs can't work without data. To me the benefits are self evident.

So your logic is that because of privacy invasion in areas that I can't avoid, I should be okay with it in the areas that I can? I don't see how that makes sense at all.

Perhaps my age is showing here at the ripe old age of 35, but I grew up before most of what you just listed was possible, and I also started using the internet in the era where we were warned to protect our privacy and what was available to companies. I can't miss things that I've never used, and for me I don't feel that I should have to sacrifice my own privacy and anonymity for those services. It's okay if you're okay doing that, but I'm not and I'm glad I have Apple to choose from to support that choice.

 

[Thunderhawks]

While I mostly laugh about Siri and it's practical use, I can't help wondering why people MUST have that functionality.

As an old geezer I lived all my life without SIRI or AI.
I actually like training my brain to remember things like phone numbers , dates etc.

Too many alternatives to worry about getting AI or SIRI right.

There are certain conveniences people do not need if they would just be honest .
No need to be cool or hip with the latest.
For me the iPhone just does everything I need when out on the road and my MBP does everything I need when I am at my desk.

Just can't follow that constant race to be able to do things faster, so I can take on more.

I want to do less and have time and can't wait for the day when nobody wants anything from me any more.

Again, old geezer talk, but young folks you wait. It will come to you.

 

[decafjava]

You’ve bought into the hype? Both companies use methods that aren’t a million miles apart to do things that are a million miles apart.

Because for Apple, users are customers. For Google, users are the product. So they have no customers? Yes they do and a lot of those ‘products' are also customers. Apple and Google both try hard to give their customers what they want. Apple's customers want privacy. They also knowingly use Google products as do Apple, what a bunch of hypocrites, don't tell me they switch it off as they use it when it suits - have the courage of your convictions and don't use it at all. Google’s customers want information about Google's users.

Privacy is similar to fame. You can't choose when and where you have it.

Well I use Duck Duck Go for search, though I'll admit I cheat and use the "bang" feature and do encrypted searches on Google through DDG so my search is anonymous and also I don't get put into the "info bubble". There are alternative mail apps like Protonmail, message apps like Telegram and Threema and I could go on...