Apple has hinted at AI-related announcements coming at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10. Much depends on the specifics. According to the Times, Apple has discussed “licensing complementary AI models that power chatbots from several companies, including Google, Cohere, and OpenAI.” This may be the most significant point for the success of Apple’s AI offerings. Developing Large Language Models (LLMs) that power chatbots is specific to each product, compute intensive, and requires considerable time and effort.
The reality is that Apple is its own ecosystem, and the danger for the company in being late with AI is more about Wall Street’s fleeting perceptions and temporary company valuation than what its customers think. Apple’s stock fell in late April and early May as the company was hit with negative publicity about being out to lunch on AI. But after a recent Apple stock buy-back and the expectation that Apple will announce its plans soon, Apple’s stock is back up.
Aspects of Apple’s probable AI plan
Apple’s AI strategy is beginning to emerge. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman confirmed the recent rumors: the company plans to significantly upgrade Siri with AI. (Using OpenAI’s ChatGPT is almost certainly a stopgap measure; Apple will eventually need to fully develop its own LLM and chatbot and fully integrate it with its products.)
