Apple Inc. unveiled its ambitious AI strategy on Monday, introducing “Apple Intelligence” technologies across its product lineup, including voice assisstant Siri and a new integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This announcement was made during a nearly two-hour presentation by CEO Tim Cook at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
A significant highlight of Apple’s AI agenda is the enhanced capabilities of Siri. The voice assistant is now designed to work seamlessly with messages, emails, calendars, and third-party apps. Siri can write emails, adjust its tone of voice to match different contexts, and aims to become a more accessible and adaptable tool for users.
Apple’s strong focus on privacy was a recurring theme throughout the presentation. The company reiterated its commitment to data protection, ensuring that the integration of ChatGPT would require user consent before accessing the service. Apple also announced plans to release a comprehensive report detailing how its AI features will safeguard user data.
Despite these assurances, the partnership with OpenAI has sparked some controversy. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has threatened to ban Apple products from his companies if the ChatGPT integration occurs at the OS level, citing privacy concerns.
Following the announcement, Apple’s shares fell by over 2%. Analysts expressed concerns that the new AI features might not significantly boost Apple’s short-term financial performance.
These AI enhancements will be part of the upcoming iOS 18, available on the latest iPhones, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro. To support these capabilities, Apple will utilize a combination of on-device processing and cloud computing, leveraging its in-house chips in data centers for added security.
In addition to AI advancements, Apple is expanding the availability of its mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, to eight more countries, including China and Japan. The headset’s VisionOS 2 software will feature machine learning upgrades and new gesture controls. Apple’s approach aims to gradually convince its vast user base of AI’s benefits while standing out from the competition with its steadfast commitment to privacy.
