Apple is investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI) with a focus on conversational AI, automation, and multimodal systems. The Information reports indicate that the company is allocating millions of dollars daily for AI development.
AI Investments for Siri and Co.
The Information mentiones that the technology could allow someone to tell the Siri voice assistant on their phone to create a GIF using the last five photos they've taken and text it to a friend. Currently, such tasks require manual input by the user. They also highlighted that the moves come four years after Apple's head of AI, John Giannandrea, authorized the formation of a team to develop conversational AI.
The Foundational Models Team
John Giannandrea, Apple's head of AI, initiated the formation of a specialized team named Foundational Models four years ago. This team, comprising around 16 members, was set up before conversational AI became a focal point in the software industry. Sources have mentioned that this move by Apple appears foresighted, especially after the launch of ChatGPT, a chatbot that spurred interest in language models.
Apple's Diverse AI Projects
While chatbots are a part of Apple's AI strategy, the company's ambitions are broader. Apple is working on AI-driven video and imagery, multimodal systems that discern relationships between text, images, and videos, and is exploring ways to bolster privacy protections for its AI models.
Apple's Position in the AI Landscape
Despite the investments and efforts, some industry analysts believe Apple is trailing its competitors in the AI domain. For instance, Microsoft has integrated AI into many of its products, including Bing Chat, and various Microsoft AI Copilot integrations in various applications. However, Apple remains determined to establish itself in the AI landscape.
