Apple announced its partnership with OpenAI during its Worldwide Developers Conference
At WWDC 2024 Apple CEO Tim Cook announced deep integration of OpenAI’s advanced ChatGPT language model across iOS & macOS.
At its annual developers conference on Monday, the iPhone maker announced the overhaul of Siri, alongside other new features. This initiative is part of a new personalized AI system named “Apple Intelligence,” which aims to simplify navigation across Apple devices.
The updates to iPhone and Mac operating systems will facilitate access to ChatGPT through a collaboration with OpenAI.
ChatGPT will also be used to enhance other tools, including text and content generation. A test version is expected to be available in the autumn.
Cook 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, not everyone welcomed the announcement. Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and Twitter/X, threatened to ban iPhones from his companies due to concerns over data security. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI,” Musk commented on X. “They’re selling you down the river.”
Apple has been under pressure to incorporate new AI features into its products following the rapid adoption of AI technology by competitors. The company, which lost its position as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft in January, was again surpassed by Nvidia in early June.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, noted that while Apple’s new personal AI system might ease investor concerns, its ChatGPT integration could expose and create additional challenges for the firm. “Arguably, this sees Apple admitting its limitations given ChatGPT will take over when Siri can no longer assist a user”,he told.
Apple has been noticeably absent from the recent surge of AI products released by tech companies. Cook assured investors in 2023 that the company would approach the technology with caution. These plans were finally detailed on Monday.
What is ‘Apple Intelligence’? “Apple Intelligence” is not a standalone product or app. It will be integrated into every Apple app and product, assisting with tasks like refining message drafts or providing the best route to appointments. This is akin to Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot, but Apple will not charge extra for activation.
Siri, which Apple acquired in 2010, has been updated with a new interface and a more conversational approach to help users navigate devices and apps more seamlessly. Apple emphasized the security of Apple Intelligence during the keynote, assuring that some processing would be done on the device itself, with more intensive tasks handled in the cloud without storing any data.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, stated that the system “puts powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac,” offering personalized and private assistance.
Implications of the OpenAI and Apple Partnership Apple’s integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, though expected, is notable for a company that typically guards its products closely. Recent errors made by AI products from Google and Microsoft have drawn scrutiny, and Apple’s move suggests a recognition of the current dominance of OpenAI.
Apple’s mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, will be available in the UK from July 12, following its US release in February.
Other features announced on Monday include:
- Sending texts via satellite
- Scheduling messages for later
- Controlling AirPods Pro with head gestures (nodding for yes, shaking head for no)
- A dedicated password app accessible across devices
- The ability to hide or lock certain apps with Face ID or passcodes.