Apple to focus on practical AI-powered features at WWDC
Scrambling to catch up, Apple’s first set of modern AI features won’t be as impressive as rival offerings, Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg News, but the company is betting that its massive customer base can give it an edge.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
At Apple Inc.’s developers conference next month, the company will unveil a different approach to artificial intelligence, focusing on tools that ordinary consumers can use in their daily lives. The idea is to appeal to a user’s practical side — and leave some of the more whiz-bang features to other companies.
Apple is in a challenging position. It needs to convince consumers and investors that it’s doing exciting things in AI. But the company is following major AI announcements from Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and OpenAI, which have stolen the spotlight.
Apple is preparing to spend a good portion of its Worldwide Developers Conference laying out its AI-related features. At the heart of the new strategy is Project Greymatter — a set of AI tools that the company will integrate into core apps like Safari, Photos and Notes. The push also includes operating system features such as enhanced notifications.
The system will work as follows: Much of the processing for less computing-intensive AI features will run entirely on the device. But if a feature requires more horsepower, the work will be pushed to the cloud.
Apple is bringing the new AI features to iOS 18 and macOS 15 — and both operating systems will include software that determines whether a task should be handled on the device or via the cloud. Most of the on-device features will be supported by iPhone, iPad and Mac chips released in the last year or so. The cloud component, meanwhile, will be powered by M2 Ultra chips located in data centers…
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MacDailyNews Take: Again, these new “AI features” for iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS to be revealed at WWDC is mainly a marketing exercise. The pressure is on Apple’s marketing team to position the company as an innovator in the space (“only Apple does so much AI on-device which so enhances users’ privacy that it’s ‘stunning,’” etc.) that also makes “smart partnerships” with other AI companies (OpenAI, for example). Now, more than ever, finding themselves so far behind, Apple needs to sell, sell, sell!
Apple was caught flat-footed, due to a lack of vision on the part of leadership… So, the only solution is to partner with a [Google, OpenAI, Baidu, etc.] for the real GenAI stuff while pretending (marketing) really hard that some on-device AI Apple has whipped up in a few months is “insanely great Apple innovation” that’s at the heart of Apple’s 2024’s AI announcements when it’s really just an adjunct… Watch Apple make a big show of its on-device AI at WWDC and run many ads touting it from June onwards.
Apple hopes to buy time for the data center buildouts and investments that will be required for them to someday own their own AI technology and not have to license it from the likes of [Google, OpenAI, Baidu, etc.].
This is what happens after a decade plus with a caretaker CEO at the helm after he hits the last page of his iteration playbook, yet attempts to stay in the game for too long. – MacDailyNews, April 1, 2024
See also: Apple is just weeks away from unveiling its big AI marketing effort – May 20, 2024
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