Apple is enhancing its Siri voice assistant and operating systems by integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT, aiming to catch up in the AI race. The iPhone maker announced this Siri overhaul, along with several other new features, at its annual developers’ conference on Monday.
This initiative is part of a new personalized AI system called “Apple Intelligence,” designed to help users navigate Apple devices more effortlessly. Updates to the iPhone and Mac operating systems will provide access to ChatGPT through a partnership with developer OpenAI. ChatGPT will also enhance other tools, including text and content generation, with a test version available in the autumn.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, stated that this move would elevate the company’s products “to new heights” during the opening of the Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. However, the announcement received mixed reactions. Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and Twitter/X, threatened to ban iPhones from his companies, citing “data security” concerns.
“Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI,” Mr Musk said on X. “They’re selling you down the river.”
Apple has faced pressure to introduce new AI features to its products due to the swift rise of rivals adopting the technology.
After being surpassed by Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company in January, Apple was again overtaken by Nvidia in early June. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, mentioned that while Apple’s new personal AI system “should help placate nervous investors,” its integration with ChatGPT might expose and create deeper issues for the company.
“Arguably this sees Apple admitting its limitations given ChatGPT will kick in at a point where Siri is no longer able to help a user,” he told the BBC.
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Apple has largely been absent from the surge of AI products released by tech firms in recent months. However, in 2023, CEO Tim Cook assured investors that the company would approach AI technology with care. On Monday, Apple finally unveiled its plans.
Introducing “Apple Intelligence,” a new integration rather than a standalone product or app. It will seamlessly become part of every app and Apple product, offering features like a writing assistant to refine your message drafts or a diary that shows the best route to your next appointment. Similar to Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot, Apple Intelligence will not require an extra fee to activate.
Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, has been revamped with a new interface and a more conversational approach to help users navigate their devices and apps more smoothly.
During Monday’s keynote, Apple emphasized the security of Apple Intelligence. Some processing will occur on the device itself, while larger tasks requiring more power will be sent to the cloud—without storing any data there.
This aligns with Apple’s commitment to privacy, a key selling point for its premium-priced products.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, stated, “The system puts powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that’s most helpful and relevant for you, and it protects your privacy at every step.”
(BBC)
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