Apple CEO Tim Cook has hinted that the company will reveal more details about its artificial intelligence (AI) projects later this year, sparking speculation among fans and analysts about what the tech giant has in store.
Cook made the remark during the annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, where he said that Apple sees “incredible breakthrough potential for generative AI, which is why we're currently investing significantly in this area.”
Generative AI is a branch of AI that can create new content, such as text, images, music, or code, based on given inputs or prompts. Some examples of generative AI are Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot, which can suggest code snippets for developers, and Google’s Duplex, which can make phone calls on behalf of users.
Apple has been relatively quiet about its AI initiatives, compared to its rivals, but some reports have suggested that the company is working on its own versions of generative AI tools. For instance, Bloomberg reported last year that Apple is developing a system called AppleGPT, which can generate human-like responses to written prompts, similar to OpenAI’s GPT-3. The report also said that Apple is testing a tool called Ask, which can answer customer service queries using AI.
Some analysts believe that Apple will showcase some of its AI innovations at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June, where it usually unveils new software features and updates for its devices. One of the areas where Apple could use generative AI is to improve Siri, its voice assistant, which has been criticized for being less capable and accurate than its competitors.
Apple has a history of being secretive about its products until they are ready for launch, and Cook did not give any specifics about what the company will announce later this year. However, he did say that he is “excited to share the details of our ongoing work in that space” and that Apple will “continue to invest in these and other technologies that shape our future.”
Source: Conversation with Bing, 2/29/2024
(1) Apple’s AI future to be shared later this year, hints Tim Cook - CNBCTV18. https://www.cnbctv18.com/technology/apples-ai-future-to-be-shared-later-this-year-hints-tim-cook-19164771.htm.
(2) Will Apple create a better AI? Questions abound as Tim Cook hints at .... https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20240228961/will-apple-create-a-better-ai-questions-abound-as-tim-cook-hints-at-whats-to-come.
(3) Tim Cook says big Apple AI announcement is coming later this year. https://mashable.com/article/tim-cook-apple-ai-announcement.
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