Apple GPT: Latest News, Speculated Release Date, and Anticipated Features
Reportedly, Apple has thrown itself into the race for artificial intelligence supremacy, diligently working on generative AI tools that could potentially rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
In July of 2023, Bloomberg disclosed that Apple had initiated trials of its very own AI chatbot, internally dubbed “Apple GPT.” Alongside this venture, the company also embarked on crafting its proprietary framework, “Ajax,” designed to birth extensive language models (LLMs).
Throughout this year, artificial intelligence has remained the central topic of discussion in the tech industry, with both Microsoft and Google fully immersing themselves in the realm of machine learning.
At the recent Google I/O event, the search giant devoted a significant portion of its keynote to elaborating on the various AI-infused products it is developing. On the other hand, Apple has remained conspicuously silent on this subject, sparking rumors about the tech giant’s interest in AI. As these speculations circulate, we will closely monitor the latest advancements in the field.
Apple GPT: Latest News
Even Apple CEO Tim Cook’s inclination towards polished, controversy-free products couldn’t suppress the news of the company’s entry into the AI domain. The response, especially from investors, was notably positive, with Apple’s shares experiencing a 2% surge.
Evidently, Apple has several teams actively engaged in developing its latest AI tools. According to the Bloomberg report, the LLM project is a collaborative effort across multiple departments, including software engineering, machine learning, and cloud engineering teams. Spearheading these endeavors are Apple’s head of machine learning and AI, John Giannandrea, along with the esteemed software engineering executive, Craig Federighi. Among the three, Giannandrea and Cook are believed to be adopting a more cautious approach.
While both “Ajax” and “Apple GPT” were unveiled simultaneously, they are, in reality, two distinct projects. The former serves as a platform for constructing large language models (LLMs), such as the GPT-4 model powering Bing Chat and ChatGPT, or the PaLM 2 model behind Google Bard. Notably, it was built upon Google’s machine learning framework, Jax (hence its moniker, “Ajax”), and operates on Google Cloud servers, originating in 2022.
It’s essential to clarify that Ajax is not an LLM by itself; instead, it is employed in creating various Apple AI products, including the company’s internal chatbot project.
Conversely, “Apple GPT” is an informal title for Apple’s response to Bard, ChatGPT, and Bing AI. If the company ever decides to release its chatbot to consumers, it will likely be marketed under a new name.
Apple GPT: Rumored Release Date
According to Bloomberg, Apple aims to make a significant AI-related announcement in 2024. However, with limited information available publicly, there is no guarantee that this grand revelation will revolve around Apple’s chatbot project. Presumably, the most probable venue for such an announcement would be the WWDC, known for its focus on software and developers. Nevertheless, this hinges on Apple having substantial progress to showcase publicly, which, until then, may result in scarce official statements about the AI announcement.
During the summer of 2023, Apple was still fine-tuning concrete plans for its AI tools, with nothing being finalized yet. Despite the ever-growing global interest in AI, Apple had not decided whether these AI tools would eventually be released for consumers.
The inception of Apple GPT traces back to 2022 when a small team of Apple engineers experimented with the concept. Initially, Apple HQ suspended the widespread deployment of this internal product due to security concerns. Presently, Apple employees require special permission to access it, and the company mandates that none of its outputs should be used to develop features intended for Apple customers.
Currently, Apple GPT is limited to assisting in the prototyping of future features, essentially serving as a secure chatbot for Apple’s internal use, replacing external products like ChatGPT or Google Bard. Apple has already prohibited its employees from using ChatGPT and other AI platforms due to concerns about potential leaks affecting their AI plans.
Furthermore, Apple GPT exhibits the capability to summarize texts and answer questions based on the data it has been trained with.
As is customary with Apple’s product development, the company is taking a cautious approach and is unlikely to make major announcements until concrete advancements are made.
Apple GPT: Predicted Features
Back in the summer of 2023, when news about Apple GPT’s existence first surfaced, its capabilities were reported to be on par with those of Google Bard and ChatGPT. It was believed to lack any groundbreaking features or technology; instead, it merely replicated the existing chatbots.
Cupertino is still exploring the consumer potential of generative AI, actively working on various related initiatives. However, the company remains tight-lipped about the precise features that its fans can ultimately anticipate.
According to reports, the iPhone 15 is expected to make ‘aggressive’ use of AI upon its release. Nevertheless, it is not projected to debut with Apple GPT onboard.
Prominent AI enhancements may include seamless integration with the iOS Health app, enabling personalized workouts, meal plans, and exercise routines based on the app’s data collection (e.g., heart rate, sleep patterns, breathing data, etc.).
Over the years, the iPhone’s photos and search functions have benefited from AI upgrades, and this Fall, iOS 17 is set to introduce a new and improved AI-driven autocorrect feature.
Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, currently serves as the company’s core AI product. However, it has shown signs of stagnation over time. Unofficially, some users have discovered ways to integrate Siri with ChatGPT and other integrations, such as S-GPT, to leverage ChatGPT’s capabilities on their iPhones.
Could Apple GPT provide an opportunity for Tim Cook to make a substantial official statement? According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, new AI technology could potentially make Siri more conversational and capable of handling a broader range of tasks, possibly even autonomously.
Examining Apple’s vacancies may shed light on the company’s direction concerning AI. In the summer of 2023, numerous open positions were directly linked to AI, indicating a genuine increase in the company’s investments in this field. One specific role calls for an individual who will “[utilize] machine learning to build phenomenal features that are seamlessly integrated into Apple platforms,” enabling better comprehension and anticipation of user behavior.
Internally, the company is exploring ways to leverage Apple GPT to assist AppleCare support staff, intending to expand generative AI into various aspects of its operations.
Apple GPT: Outlook
During Apple’s earnings call in May 2023, CEO Tim Cook emphasized the significance of AI and pledged to incorporate it into their products thoughtfully. This stance indicated Apple’s endeavor to swiftly develop generative AI tools to match the competition.
While some of these products have already been introduced internally, they are still in limited use. The pressure is now on Apple to define its strategic plan and deliver before the end of 2024.
Read More: OpenAI Temporarily Pauses Bing Integration in ChatGPT
