What We Know About Apple's New AI Chatbot
While artificial intelligence has been around for years in various forms, there has been a resurgence in interest due to generative AI technology and the rise of AI chatbots. In recent times, OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E, as well as Stability AI's Stable Diffusion, have been the subjects of widespread praise and criticism for their impact on multiple industries. While Google's Bard is marketed as a creative and helpful collaborator, Microsoft's Copilot for its Office 365 suit claims to be the most powerful productivity tool on the planet.
However, there's one tech giant that still hasn't thrown its hat in the ring yet: Apple. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to launch a rival to the generative AI giants of our time, codenamed "Ajax." Although Apple has yet to publicly announce how it plans to transition its existing AI technology for consumer use, here's what we know about Ajax and Apple GPT so far.
Apple's Ajax platform and GPT
In the Bloomberg newsletter Power On, Gurman shares that Apple plans to use the Ajax platform to create large language models (LLMs). A type of deep learning algorithm, LLMs use massive datasets to generate content, which can be used for a variety of applications. Aside from generative AI chatbots, LLMs can also be used for search engines, images, music, and more. After Apple hired Google's former head of AI and Search, John Giannandrea, in 2018, it's unsurprising that Ajax is also said to use Google Jax to build the foundations of its generative AI model. Google Jax is a machine learning framework used by Google to optimize machine learning and deep learning tasks.
One application of Ajax is the rumored Apple GPT, a chatbot that could rival OpenAI's ChatGPT, which is slowly declining in popularity. Although there are still no full details on what or how this potential chatbot could be used, there are reports on how Apple is already testing a version of it internally. In the newsletter, it's noted that Apple is testing an internal chatbot for assisting employees to "prototype future features, summarize text, and answer questions based on data it has been trained with."
Aside from its chatbot, it's highly likely that other AI-related developments will also be rolled out with integrated iOS features, such as improvements to its voice assistant Siri or its Health app. In addition, Apple is rumored to be exploring ways to use generative AI to improve its operations, such as supporting its AppleCare staff during customer interactions.
Why Apple is holding back in the generative AI chatbot race
Apple's conservative moves toward consumer-facing AI chatbots are likely an indication that it's still weighing out the risks it may entail, including issues with accuracy and privacy. In a 2023 May earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared that there are "a number of issues that need to be sorted" when it comes to AI. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple banned its workers from using OpenAI's ChatGPT for their work due to security concerns earlier this year.
Thankfully, Apple fans won't have to wait for news on its next moves for too long. Last May, TechCrunch revealed that Apple was on the hunt for generative AI talents to help lead the charge. According to Bloomberg, Apple sources have also confirmed that significant AI-related updates toward the end of 2023 are already in the works. While AI chatbots still have a long way to go, Apple could be primed to not only fill in the gaps of existing AI chatbots but also do it more seamlessly with its existing ecosystem.