Apple’s WWDC 2024 Announcements and OpenAI Partnership

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Apple has not yet unveiled a robust and well-defined AI strategy, in contrast to Google and Microsoft, which have disclosed sophisticated AI models.

Apple has said that it will soon roll out Apple Intelligence throughout its ecosystem, marking its long-awaited foray into the field of generative artificial intelligence.

Described as “personal intelligence,” the company’s initial use of generative AI seeks to enhance “your most personal products’ usefulness and enjoyment,” as stated by CEO Tim Cook on Monday at the Worldwide Developers Conference held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California,

Apple emphasised that the innovation has been designed with a focus on safety and creating highly personalised experiences, as a way to reassure people that their data is safe as the firm introduces generative AI throughout its products.

Mr. Cook stated, “Most importantly, it has to understand you and be grounded in your personal context, like your routine, your relationships, your communications and more.”

Naturally, privacy needs to be considered from the very beginning. This is all more than just artificial intelligence. It’s Apple’s next major move, and it involves personal intelligence.

The newest operating systems for iPhone, iPads, and Mac computers from the corporation will use the new technology. It will use internal silicon chips to generate and comprehend language and visuals, as well as to perform actions across many apps.

Siri, the company’s virtual assistant, will be deeply ingrained in the system experience and powered by Apple Intelligence, according to Apple. With more sophisticated English comprehension, Siri will be able to expedite and simplify daily tasks while also being more intuitive, contextually relevant, and personal.

Even with the eagerly anticipated AI announcements, there was minimal movement in the company’s price.

At Monday’s market close, its share price fell 1.91% to $193.12, giving the business a market worth of $2.96 trillion. It fell 0.26% in trading after the market to $192.61.

Industry observers, however, are upbeat about the company’s prospects.

According to Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at Investing.com, AI integration across Apple’s wide variety of products is rapidly gaining traction, as reported by The National.

This was demonstrated by the end product’s numerous AI features as well as the business’s strategic plan to take advantage of its sizable customer base. A pattern that has characterized Apple’s strategy for the last ten years, according to Mr. Monteiro.

Because there hasn’t been any noteworthy breaking news, investors have viewed this as a sell-the-news kind of event, but when considering the bigger picture, there are a number of encouraging sights that Tim Cook is once again moving the company in the correct way.

Senior analyst at Swissquote Bank Ipek Ozkardeskaya claimed that Apple has fallen behind its rivals in the early development and application of AI technologies.

Apple has not yet unveiled a robust and well-defined AI strategy, in contrast to Google and Microsoft, which have disclosed sophisticated AI models.

In a note, Ms. Ozkardeskaya stated “Many investors don’t see Apple as a cutting-edge technology company but rather as a luxury brand that sells millions of hardware that could be home to any reasonably appreciated AI model.”

At WWDC, Apple also revealed that it is collaborating with OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed startup that created ChatGPT, to incorporate its generative AI tool into Siri.

Later this year, ChatGPT will be free of charge in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, the upcoming desktop operating system. Users of ChatGPT who have paid will be able to connect their accounts and use Apple’s operating systems to access OpenAI’s sophisticated capabilities.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told The Verge in a statement that “Apple shares our commitment to safety and innovation, and this partnership aligns with OpenAI’s mission to make advanced AI accessible to everyone.”

Additionally, Apple announced iOS 18, the most recent version of its iPhone operating system, which includes a plethora of personalization options, the most extensive makeover of the Photos app to date, and new mail inbox management features.

In addition to automatically organizing photo libraries into a single view and customizing the buttons at the bottom of the lock screen, users will be able to rapidly access additional options in the control centre and arrange apps in any available space on the home screen.

In the absence of a mobile or Wi-Fi connection, users can now communicate via satellite using the messaging app, which is powered by the same technology as current iPhones.

“It is a massive release with amazing features,” Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple, stated that there are numerous advantages for all parties involved.

The public beta of iOS 18 is scheduled to launch next month, but the developer beta, or trial, is currently accessible. In September or October, the free software upgrade for iPhone X and subsequent devices will be accessible.

Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro, the company’s first significant product release since the Watch in 2015, will open on Thursday in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, among other new markets.

The gadget, which went on sale in the US in February, is available for purchase starting on June 28 to customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK. The device, which retails for $3,499 (Dh12,850), represents Apple’s entry into the wearable computer market.

Tim Cook has referred to it as a new era of “spatial computing,” which combines mixed, augmented, and virtual reality.

Additionally, iPadOS 18, which includes improved handwriting features for the Apple Pencil and a revamped Photos app, was unveiled.

New features including iPhone mirroring, an updated Passwords app, and enhanced gaming experiences are all part of the macOS Sequoia release. While visionOS 2 for Vision Pro brings new hand gestures and spatial photo production, along with improved developer tools for producing spatial apps, tvOS 18 offers additional features for better entertainment experiences.