Apple agreed to adhere to a set of voluntary artificial intelligence (AI) safeguards proposed by the Biden administration, according to a new report Friday. The move aligns Apple with other major tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI. It’s a collective effort to help ensure responsible AI development (although there are, as of yet, no penalties for flouting the firmly worded but fairly vague suggestions).
Apple signs on to Biden administration’s AI safety guidelines
The guidelines, while not legally binding, represent a step towards self-regulation in the rapidly evolving field of AI, Bloomberg reported. For Mac users, Apple’s commitment comes at an exciting time, as the company prepares to launch Apple Intelligence in new software updates this fall. M-series Apple silicon chips in Macs and iPads, as well as other devices, like iPhone 15 Pro and newer handsets will support it.
The White House’s AI safeguards are built around six key tenets, released in late October 2023:
- Developers of powerful AI systems must share safety test results and critical information with the U.S. government.
- Standards, tools and tests will be developed to ensure AI systems are safe, secure and trustworthy.
- Protections will be implemented against the risks of using AI to engineer dangerous biological materials.
- Measures will be taken to protect Americans from AI-enabled fraud and deception, including standards for detecting AI-generated content.
- An advanced cybersecurity program will be established to develop AI tools for finding and fixing vulnerabilities in critical software.
- A National Security Memorandum will be created to direct further actions on AI and security.
More AI coming soon in beta releases
While Apple Intelligence is not yet available in beta for macOS Sequoia, the company has promised to release some features in beta soon. A public release is expected by the end of the year, with some features perhaps coming in spring 2025. Mac users can look forward to features like proofreading and writing tools, priority notifications, emoji and photo image generation and a more intelligent Siri based on a semantic index of personal information stored on your device.
A combination of on-device models and private cloud server processing on Apple’s servers will power Apple Intelligence. That should both performance and privacy, Apple has said. Additionally, Apple plans to integrate third-party AI providers into its operating systems, starting with ChatGPT this-coming fall.
Guidelines carry no penalties
The voluntary nature of these guidelines means there are currently no penalties for non-compliance or enforcement mechanisms in place. However, the agreement does require companies to share the results of AI system tests with governments, civil society and academia, promoting transparency and peer review.
For Mac users, this development signifies Apple’s commitment to responsible AI development. That could potentially leading to safer and more reliable AI features in future macOS updates. As we await the rollout of Apple Intelligence, it’s reassuring to know that Apple is participating in broader efforts to address the ethical and security concerns around AI.
