According to reports, Apple is planning to integrate its artificial intelligence (AI) directly into its mobile devices rather than relying on cloud-based systems.
As stated by the Financial Times (FT), Apple is in the process of building a robust AI team and is looking to enhance Siri with AI capabilities while also incorporating AI directly into iPhones. This strategic shift is seen as an effort to catch up with competitors in the AI domain, a realm where Apple has lagged behind due to Tim Cook’s cautious approach.
Contrary to its past stance, Apple seems poised to embrace on-device AI processing, a departure from the trend of offloading AI tasks to the cloud. Recent data from PitchBook, cited by the FT and disclosed to Business Insider, reveals that Apple has acquired 21 AI companies since 2017, surpassing its industry counterparts in this area.
In a bid to bridge the gap with tech giants like Google and Microsoft, Apple is actively recruiting AI talent. The company’s focus appears to be on integrating AI directly into its hardware, particularly iPhones, rather than relying heavily on external data centers and cloud services, a strategy divergent from platforms like ChatGPT.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley suggest that Apple is working on an advanced AI-powered version of Siri, expected to debut at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June alongside iOS 18. Additionally, Apple has introduced more powerful M3 chips for MacBooks and an S9 chip for Apple Watch to enable offline Siri functionality, demonstrating a commitment to enhancing AI capabilities across its product line.
Apple’s recruitment drive is geared towards enhancing Siri’s language understanding and overall AI capabilities. Job postings highlight the company’s interest in areas such as health, on-device AI, and the development of foundational models like “GPT-4.”
Nearly half of Apple’s AI job listings emphasize expertise in “Deep Learning,” a critical technology for sophisticated language models like ChatGPT, according to a report referenced by the FT from Morgan Stanley. It is reported that Apple has internally deployed its own language model, “Ajax,” akin to GPT-4, for AI service development.
Apple’s substantial investment in research and development (R&D), totaling $22.61 billion in the previous year, reflects its commitment to AI innovation. CEO Tim Cook attributed a portion of this increased spending to the company’s AI initiatives.
Despite facing challenges like the unexpected success of ChatGPT and criticism for a delayed response, Apple remains cautious in its approach to adopting new AI technologies. Tim Cook, during an earnings call in May 2023, acknowledged the significance of AI advancements in the software market but stressed the importance of a methodical integration process into Apple’s products.
Efforts to obtain a statement from Apple by Business Insider outside regular business hours were met with no immediate response from the company.
