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CEO Tim Cook called Apple’s AI launch the ‘next big step’ for the company
At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple has announced a new partnership with OpenAI that will integrate ChatGPT directly within Apple devices.
In the day one keynote speech, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the company’s new integrated ‘Apple Intelligence’ system, which he characterised as “the personal intelligence system that puts powerful generative models right at the core” of your Apple device.
The new features, the company says, are a “new chapter in Apple innovation,” and will include:
– Writing tools, allowing users to summarise, rewrite, or proofread text on different apps such as Mail, Notes, or third-party applications.
– Image generation, including ‘Genmoji’, which creates personalised and instantly curated emojis.
– A Siri overhaul, making platform is more natural and personal, with more control over apps and actions, for a wider range of actions.
“AI has to understand you and be grounded in your personal context like your routine, your relationships, your communications and more. It’s beyond artificial intelligence. It’s personal intelligence,” said Cook.
“We’re excited to partner with Apple to bring ChatGPT to their users in a new way,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a press release, who did not attend the event.
“Apple shares our commitment to safety and innovation, and this partnership aligns with OpenAI’s mission to make advanced AI accessible to everyone. Together with Apple, we’re making it easier for people to benefit from what AI can offer,” he continued.
Apple has kept its AI cards close to its chest for some time, leaving users that the company could fall behind other US tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta. Despite this, rumours of discussions with OpenAI had been circulating for some time.
Apple has emphasised its dedication to privacy when it comes to its new AI solution, with Cook confirming that Apple Intelligence accesses user information in a “completely private and secure way”.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, told attendees that the Private Cloud Compute that the feature uses means it works with “groundbreaking privacy,” and is the “most advanced security architecture ever deployed for cloud AI at scale”. The company say that it will only use user data to make the AI request and never store it, meaning it is not accessible to anyone, not even Apple.
The integration of Chat GPT, however, has brought these claims into question, as using the features would mean personal data is sent outside of Apple’s secure ecosystem.
X CEO Elon Musk has emphatically expressed his disapproval, calling the deal an “unacceptable security violation” in a post on X.
It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!
Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024
Conversations surrounding data privacy have reached a critical point in the last few weeks as Open AI has found itself embroiled in a scandal involving Scarlett Johansson. Last month, the company launched a chatbot named “Sky” with a strikingly similar voice to the actress, after she declined to voice the chatbot herself. The ordeal has brought the ethics of OpenAI into question and highlighted the ways in which such companies can seemingly bypass consent to advance their platforms.
Most importantly, it has emphasised the need for ethical guidelines and legal protection as the AI field evolves rapidly.
Alongside the Apple Intelligence announcement, the company also revealed new satellite messaging capabilities for its iMessage app, in an effort to solve connectivity issues caused by “not spots”. With this new capability, iMessage users can send and receive messages even when a terrestrial mobile or Wi-Fi connection is not available.
Since 2022, users of the iPhone 14 and higher have been able to use a satellite connection to make emergency calls.
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