Apple is contemplating the incorporation of AI capabilities into iPhones and iPads

While Google and Microsoft have readily embraced AI, Apple has kept a certain distance from this technology, or at least refrained from explicitly mentioning it in its presentations. However, reports indicate that Apple is currently working on features for its complete range of devices, including iPhones, iPads, and beyond.

This is not entirely new, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously acknowledged the company’s use of machine learning models in Siri, powering intelligent functions on iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, among other products. A notable AI release from Apple is an improved auto-correct system in iOS 17.

Reportedly, Apple’s top executives were caught off guard by the unexpected surge in AI advancements, and they have been working diligently to catch up since late last year. According to an individual familiar with the situation, this has caused significant internal concern, with some viewing it as a considerable oversight. These insights were shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Apple’s artificial intelligence model named Ajax

Earlier, there were reports indicating that Apple had developed its comprehensive language model called Ajax and had internally deployed a chatbot named “Apple GPT” to evaluate its capabilities. Apple is currently evaluating the competitiveness of its in-house technology and exploring ways to incorporate it into their products.

According to Mark Gurman, this initiative is spearheaded by Apple’s senior vice presidents in charge of AI and software engineering, John Giannandrea and Craig Federighi. Additionally, Eddy Cue, the head of services, is a part of their team and is dedicated to allocating around $1 billion annually for the development of this technology.

It’s crucial to note that Gurman did not specify the specific devices slated to receive generative AI. However, he alludes to an improved version of Siri integrated into almost all Apple products. This implies that these products might potentially include iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and others.

Executives sponsoring the AI initiative

Both Giannandrea and Federighi are labeled as the “executive sponsors” of the generative AI initiative. Giannandrea is primarily dedicated to advancing the foundational technology for a new AI system, with his team deeply integrating it into Siri.

The report also hints that this upgraded version of Siri may be prepared as soon as next year. However, potential concerns about the technology might extend the timeline for Apple to implement AI features across its entire product lineup.

Federighi is actively engaged with a software engineering team assigned to integrate AI into the upcoming iOS version. The directive is to imbue it with features driven by the company’s extensive language model (LLM), refining AI capabilities through extensive data utilization. These new features are intended to improve both Siri and the Messages app, enabling more effective handling of inquiries and sentence auto-completion, aligning with recent advancements observed in competing services, as highlighted by Gurman.

Generative AI tailored for developers

Gurman reveals that Apple’s software engineering teams are investigating the incorporation of generative AI into development tools like Xcode. This integration aims to streamline the application development process for developers.

Furthermore, Eddy Cue is pushing for the integration of AI applications, such as incorporating generative features into Apple Music to create auto-generated playlists similar to Spotify. The company also has intentions to improve its productivity applications with AI.