Apple will add an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI to iPhone and Mac, according to an unconfirmed report. But users of these devices won’t be forced to use it.
And that goes for more than the chatbot. Apparently, Apple will give users the option to pass on all the upcoming artificial intelligence features. The company plans to showcase its big AI push at its Worldwide Developers Conference next week.
Apple’s chatbot will be outsourced to OpenAI
Apple faced criticism for moving slowly into artificial intelligence even as Microsoft and Google leaped ahead. But that’s all expected to change at WWDC24. Leaks say Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives will announce a wide range of artificial intelligence features coming to iOS 18, macOS 15 and the company’s other operating systems.
Among these will be a chatbot powered by OpenAI technology, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday. Apple’s own technology reportedly can handle most of the new artificial intelligence features. But the company will outsource the chatbot.
Bloomberg said:
“Apple found that its AI is capable enough to power features like voice memo transcriptions and photo editing, as well as new search capabilities in the Safari web browser and auto replies in apps like Messages. But it determined early on that OpenAI and Google were far ahead in chatbots and on-the-fly assistance.”
Not all the details of Apple’s AI plans have leaked out yet. Most notably, it remains unclear if Apple will integrate something like OpenAI’s (amazing) new GPT-4o into the Siri voice system or keep it separate.
Part of the reason for the lack of clarity is that negotiations to also bring Google’s AI tech to iPhone and Mac are reportedly ongoing. Apple reportedly sealed a deal with OpenAI, according to Bloomberg:
Apple picked OpenAI as its inaugural AI partner for a few reasons, one of the people said. It got better business terms than Google was offering, and Apple believes that OpenAI’s technology is the best available on the market. Integrating Google AI into the iPhone also might have given the impression that Apple’s biggest technology rival had beat it in a vital new area.
iPhone users can decline Apple AI features
Apple seems aware that AI is controversial. And the public’s nervousness is fed by well-publicized examples of AI-powered chatbots “hallucinating” — simply making things up.
“Apple is expected to offer its new AI features as an opt-in service, according to the people familiar with the matter,” said Bloomberg. “So wary customers could easily steer clear of them if they’d prefer.”
WWDC24 kicks off June 10
The details of all Apple’s new AI features will go from rumor to reality at WWDC24, which starts with a keynote address next Monday. The world will get its first look at the many other changes coming to iOS 18, macOS 15, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and visionOS 2 at the same time.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
