Apple CEO Tim Cook has said his company is working on breakthrough generative AI technology. The announcement came during Apple’s annual shareholder meeting and it emphasises what he had said in February during an earnings call.
The company sees “incredible breakthrough potential for generative AI, which is why we’re currently investing significantly in this area”, he said. “We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users when it comes to productivity, problem-solving and more.”
Earlier, Apple avoided the term AI and favoured the words “machine learning”. That’s no longer the case. Apple is yet to unveil competing products to models like OpenAI’s GPT or Google’s Gemini, but he teased a major announcement coming this year.
“Later this year, I look forward to sharing with you the ways we will break new ground in generative AI, another technology we believe can redefine the future,” Cook said.
Apple is, in fact, not a stranger to AI or machine learning, which is in some ways present in how we see pictures on the Photos app. Or take the case of Apple Vision Pro’s hand-tracking tool and Apple Watch’s heart rate alerts. Apple’s chips inside its MacBooks are capable of running AI.
“AI is woven into our users’ lives for all sorts of tasks, from the everyday to the essential. AI allows Apple Watch to help you track your workouts, automatically detecting whether you’re taking a walk or going for a swim. It enables your iPhone to call for help if you’re in a car accident,” Cook said.
Apple usually announces new software products and features in June at its annual developer’s conference called WWDC. The features ultimately arrive with the new iPhones later in the year.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that Apple is planning to upgrade Siri and iOS’ built-in search tool, Spotlight, with GenAI models. The company is reportedly exploring AI-powered features to allow users to automatically generate presentation slides in Keynote and playlists in Apple Music, as well as GenAI-powered coding suggestions in Xcode.
