Apple is poised to introduce its response to the AI boom dominating the tech industry: Apple Intelligence.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple plans to showcase its new AI-driven “Apple Intelligence” suite at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 10-14.
Apple’s strategy involves a hybrid onboard/cloud approach to integrating AI across its product line. For iPhones and iPads, AI services will utilize discrete onboard chips where possible, while more demanding tasks will be handled via cloud services. This approach aims to balance performance with user privacy, ensuring that features like predictive text, typing suggestions, and simple queries run locally on devices. For more complex generative tasks, Apple is collaborating with OpenAI, despite OpenAI’s existing partnership with Microsoft for cloud services.
A major highlight of this announcement is the enhancement of Siri. Once a leader in virtual assistants, Siri has recently fallen behind competitors like Samsung’s Bixby, which has adopted advanced generative AI technologies. The upgraded Siri is expected to handle detailed instructions for personalized tasks, such as deleting specific emails and editing photos.
The reception to “Apple Intelligence” has been mixed, with some skepticism from consumers and analysts. Many have speculated that Apple has lagged in the AI race, especially in comparison to Microsoft and Google, who have aggressively pushed their AI capabilities.
Despite this, the introduction of AI-generated Apple emojis, an improved Siri, and the integration of “Apple Intelligence” into Apple’s ecosystem may help the company retain its market leadership throughout 2024.