CNN
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Imagine asking Apple. Siri to show you An old photo from the child's second birthday, or summarizing and drafting long emails. Then consider letting Siri learn your schedule, preferences, even your personality, so it can better interact with you throughout the day.
Generative AI, artificial intelligence that can provide thoughtful and thorough answers to questions and prompts, could potentially breathe new life into Apple's iPhone lineup at a time when rivals are racing to compete. I'm threatening to leave behind a company that can change the world. Technology
The company is widely expected to partner with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where it will likely unveil the upcoming iOS software. will show its first batch of AI tools.
While artificial intelligence has powered some iPhone experiences over the years, such as Live Text and improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization. All this at a time when the company is under pressure to catch up with rivals like Google and Samsung. who are already using the technology in their smartphones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company's recent earnings call in early May, “We see creative AI in our products as a significant opportunity and believe we have advantages that we can take from there. separate.” Forward.”
Apple isn't always the first to adopt emerging technologies — it usually researches, develops and aims to perfect them for years before incorporating them into new products — but the pace The world's adoption of generative AI may be accelerating the company's need to have a smartphone with the latest technology.
The debut of an AI iPhone could also tempt consumers to upgrade at a time when they've been holding on to older models for longer. Apple reported first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion, down 4% year over year, as the tech giant continues to struggle with growth challenges, particularly in China, amid an uncertain economic environment. .
All eyes are now on Apple to take on its generative AI. How it works on iPhone:
While it's unclear what generative AI will look like in the iPhone world, experts believe the biggest entry point is through Siri, the company's virtual assistant with a hit-or-miss track record.
Integration with OpenAI's latest ChatGPT-4o model could push Siri forward by several years, essentially turning the feature into an iPhone chatbot. This will enable Siri to perform specific tasks such as recalling a photo taken years ago on the device or answering detailed questions about the weather, news or trivia. Over time, it can also learn the user's preferences and personality, and respond accordingly.
Given that competitors have already introduced generative tools, the iPhone will likely help users with other tasks as well, such as summarizing and drafting emails., or to initiate the online purchase return process.
Samsung's “Circle to Search” feature, which allows users to quickly search for information on the device's screen with a fingertip, has garnered a lot of attention and has been featured in marketing campaigns. Multimodal features – which refers to an AI system that can interpret and generate different types of data, such as text and images at the same time – such as analyzing video footage and detecting spam in calls are also part of the tools. can Paul Shell, industry analyst at tech intelligence firm ABI Research.
“Given its relative simplicity and appeal, Apple's offering will likely include something similar,” Schell said. Shell said. “But verbal interaction with a bot like Siri will be much more natural and fluid, and its capabilities will go far beyond previous, narrow domains, such as news and weather updates.”
An AI iPhone can automatically and seamlessly adapt to users with voice, audio and natural language along with images and contextual cues.
“Generative AI will allow the next generation of iPhones to become a sixth sense, empowering us to scan and interact with the world around us,” said Thomas Husson, an analyst at market research firm Forrester. will make.”
Generative AI will likely transform Apple's entire ecosystem by embedding it through its own apps, such as Apple Maps, iMovie and iPhoto, and for brands to create new experiences for developers through their own apps. will release tools to
Behind the scenes, Apple has reportedly been working on its own on-device generative AI capabilities and has been acquiring companies for some time, such as Canadian startup DarwinAI. It also has a machine learning research division dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence.
But the AI arms race began in late 2022 after the launch of ChatGPT, with companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta pouring huge resources into developing related tools, Apple's vision of an AI-powered future. remained relatively quiet about
Nabila Popal, senior research director at market research firm IDC, said the pressure to be part of the talks has stretched the company's timeline. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple was entering into a deal with OpenAI to use its ChatGPT technology on iPhones, following similar talks with Google.
Apple generally takes its time and doesn't let the Android race rush [impact its moves]Be it with foldables or 5G or even augmented and virtual reality, Popel said. “And Apple then comes out and does it better than anybody else.”
“However this time, with AI, it's different,” he said. “It's almost as if Apple is being forced to show its hand early.”
He said consumers are considering AI capabilities more important than any other feature when choosing their premium device, especially in China, where Apple is losing market share.
“It's not just because of Huawei's recovery, but also because of 'Lack of AI' In their devices,” he said. “Chinese consumers want more from their premium phones.”
During its recent iPad event, Apple reminded onlookers that it has been using artificial intelligence in its products for years, including a neural processing engine to support its A11 Bionic chip. But now it needs to show that it is working on artificial intelligence to stay relevant in a fast-growing industry.
“It is no longer a question of whether or not Apple will announce something about generative AI, but Apple has to if they want to grow in this highly competitive and innovative smartphone market, especially in China. … AI is a train that Apple can't miss.