Apple is in the process of developing an extensive array of features utilizing generative AI, which includes a new iteration of Siri expected to launch next year, as indicated by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Gurman, in his most recent “Power On” newsletter, revealed that despite Apple CEO Tim Cook’s statement that Apple has been engaged in generative AI technology for several years, Apple’s executives found themselves “caught off guard” by the sudden surge of interest in AI within the industry. Consequently, they have been diligently “scrambling since late last year to catch up.”
Leading Apple’s AI initiatives are John Giannandrea, the senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, and Craig Federighi, the senior vice president of software engineering. Eddy Cue, the senior vice president of services at Apple, is also actively involved in this endeavor.
Reportedly, Giannandrea is overseeing the development of foundational technologies for a new AI system. Most notably, his team is working on a more advanced version of Siri that will be deeply integrated with AI. Gurman suggests that it may be ready for deployment as early as next year.
On the other hand, Federighi is in charge of integrating AI into the next major iteration of iOS, introducing features that operate on Apple’s large language model (LLM). These features include an enhanced interaction between Siri and the Messages app, enabling users to handle complex queries and auto-complete sentences more efficiently. Federighi’s team is also exploring the integration of AI into Xcode to facilitate faster code writing for developers, bringing it in line with services such as Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot.
Cue, on the other hand, is reportedly working to incorporate AI into as many Apple apps as possible, encompassing features in Apple Music, such as auto-generated playlists, and productivity applications like Pages and Keynote, where AI could assist with writing or creating slide presentations. Apple is also said to be testing the application of generative AI for internal customer service tools within AppleCare.
Apple is purportedly on track to allocate $1 billion per year for AI research. There is an ongoing internal debate about whether Apple should employ generative AI as a completely on-device experience, a cloud-based setup, or adopt a hybrid approach.
Previously, Gurman reported that Apple is developing a chatbot tool, informally referred to as “Apple GPT,” to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.