Introduction:
Apple CEO Tim Cook disputed that the company was behind in artificial intelligence (AI) on yesterday’s Q4 earnings call with investors, Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AI is a Fundamental Technology that “would not be possible without AI.” The CEO gave concrete examples of iOS 17’s creative use of AI technology, citing capabilities like Apple Personal Voice and Live Voicemail. Additionally, Cook revealed that Apple was working on generative AI technology.
Consumers might think of something other than the attributes Cook listed as artificial intelligence (AI), which might be done intentionally. Cook suggested Apple would not always call the features “AI.”
Cook said, “We label them according to what their consumer benefit is.” “But machine learning and artificial intelligence are the core technologies behind it.”
For example, the Personal Voice accessibility feature generates an artificial voice that mimics your voice. It is intended for people who are losing their ability to speak due to various illnesses, like ALS. To use the feature, users must first spend fifteen minutes reading written prompts into the device’s microphone. The audio is then locally processed using machine learning technology on their Mac, iPad, or iPhone to create a customized voice that sounds exactly like them.
On the other hand, users can view a real-time transcription of a voicemail as it is being recorded with iOS 17’s new Live Voicemail feature. Cook told investors, “These features are centered around AI.” “After that, you can use the watch’s ECG, accident detection, and fall detection, as well as other life-saving features on the phone. None of them would be possible without AI, he claimed.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AI is a Fundamental Technology:
Apple CEO Tim Cook Says AI is a Fundamental Technology [Source of Image: Techcrunch.com]
Speaking about generative AI technology, the Apple executive said, “Obviously, we have work going on.” However, he declined to go into details, noting that Apple doesn’t do that.
But rest assured that we will invest responsibly and that we will be doing so in a significant amount. With those technologies at their heart, you’ll see product enhancements over time,” Cook said.
As for consumer-facing AI solutions, on the other hand, Apple still needs to catch up. These have become increasingly popular recently because of the release of products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and others from companies like Google and Anthropic.
As to The Information, the company is expanding its AI development budget to “millions of dollars a day” and employing multiple teams to work on large language models or LLMs to put the technology to use. Soon, users can use Siri to automate tasks that need human programming, such as opening the Shortcuts app. The insider claims that Siri might pick up new AI skills as well, such as being told to text a friend a photo they recently took with their iPhone.
Bloomberg claims that other AI features, including enhancements to Siri and the Messages app that would allow it to respond to questions and complete sentences, akin to Google’s autocomplete feature for Gmail, will be included in the next iOS release. The website also hints at the inclusion of generative AI in Xcode and other Apple development tools.
