Apple brings ChatGPT to iPhone, unveils Apple Intelligence
Apple unveiled its long-awaited AI strategy on Monday, June 10, integrating “Apple Intelligence” across its suite of apps including Siri, and announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to its devices. With these moves, the iPhone maker is telling investors that the AI battle is not yet lost even though it has forfeited some rounds to Microsoft.
A New Approach to AI
Microsoft overtook Apple as the world’s biggest company by market capitalisation in January, and Apple’s shares have trailed those of other Big Tech companies this year. AI chip giant Nvidia briefly overtook Apple last week as the world’s second-most valuable company, underscoring for some investors a shift in power in the tech world.
But shares of the iPhone maker were down nearly 2 per cent in afternoon trading as investors sought more AI announcements. The AI features were unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference and Apple also showed its latest operating system for its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset and iPhone.
Improving User Experience
The company said the new AI features will come with the latest software for its devices and allow users to summarise text and generate other content, much like what is already being done with Meta AI on WhatsApp and Instagram. Apple said the ChatGPT integration would be available later this year and that other AI features would follow, adding that the chatbot could be accessed for free and that users’ information would not be logged.
As part of the updates, a revamped Siri will also tap into ChatGPT’s expertise and seek permission from users before querying the OpenAI service. While other AI rivals target enterprises, Apple plans to stand out by making AI technology relevant commercially to its more than 1 billion users.
Enhanced Features and Accessibility
Apple said iOS 18, the software powering its flagship device, makes the iPhone home screen more customisable and includes improved versions of its in-house apps. The new software will also come with a “lock an app” feature that will help people protect sensitive information.
Users can lock specific apps and keep data more tightly controlled in the OS. Apple also said it would group messages in its email client starting later this year, categorising them in a primary folder, a transactions folder, a promotions folder and other more specific groupings, for instance, communications by an airline.
Expanding Globally
Apple said it would make its mixed-reality headset Vision Pro available in eight more countries including China and Japan. The new VisionOS 2 software for the headset will use machine learning to create natural depth photos and come with new gestures. Apple has been using AI behind the scenes for years to power features on its devices, such as the ability of its watches to detect crashes and falls.
But it has been reluctant to tout how this technology boosts functionality in its devices, as Microsoft has done with the help of its early bet on OpenAI. With Apple and Meta’s focus on its commercial market, and as AI technologies extend further into the developing world, the question of data mining in spaces where data protection in policy is limited still needs to be addressed.
Even policymakers in superpower nations such as the US have shown that they are not yet capable of responding to potential AI threats. Current and former employees of OpenAI and Google DeepMind are already signalling that the AI companies as entities cannot be trusted as they are now to maintain safety.
READ: Current and former employees of OpenAI, Google DeepMind warn about major AI risks
