Apple Integrates ChatGPT to Boost Siri and Operating Systems

Apple is set to enhance its Siri voice assistant and operating systems by incorporating OpenAI's ChatGPT, a move aimed at catching up in the competitive AI landscape. The tech giant revealed the Siri upgrade along with several new features at its annual developers' conference. Dubbed 'Apple Intelligence,' this new personalized AI system is designed to help users navigate Apple devices with greater ease.

The updates to iPhone and Mac operating systems will grant users access to OpenAI. This integration will allow ChatGPT to augment other tools, including text and content generation. A test version is scheduled for release in the autumn. Apple CEO Tim Cook asserted that this initiative would elevate the company's products to new heights during the Worldwide Developers Conference held at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.

However, the market reaction to the announcement was lukewarm, with Apple's share price dropping by 1.91% on the day of the announcement. Additionally, the partnership faced criticism from Tesla and Twitter/X owner Elon Musk, who threatened to ban iPhones from his companies over data security concerns. Musk claimed that Apple was compromising user data by handing it over to OpenAI, although Apple has yet to respond to these allegations.

Samsung also took the opportunity to mock Apple's announcement, posting a message on X that read, 'Adding 'Apple' doesn’t make it new or groundbreaking. Welcome to AI.' This isn't the first time the South Korean company has attempted to undermine its competitor. Despite the jabs, the more significant concern for Apple is whether the new AI tools will enable it to catch up with companies that have more rapidly embraced the technology.

Apple recently lost its position as the world's most valuable company to Microsoft in January, and was surpassed again by chip-maker Nvidia in early June. Ben Wood, chief analyst at research firm CCS Insight, suggested that while Apple's new personalized AI system might appease nervous investors, the ChatGPT integration could expose and amplify deeper issues within the company.

'Apple Intelligence' is not a standalone product or app but will be integrated into every Apple app and product. Whether it's a writing assistant for refining message drafts or a smart diary that helps users find the best route to their next appointment, the system aims to provide contextual and relevant intelligence to users without requiring an additional fee, similar to Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot.

Apple has revamped Siri, given that ChatGPT will take over when Siri cannot assist the user further.

During the keynote, Apple emphasized the security features of 'Apple Intelligence.' Some of the processing will happen on the device itself, while more power-intensive tasks will be offloaded to the cloud, although Apple assured that no data would be stored there. This move is critical for maintaining the trust of customers who pay premium prices for Apple's privacy assurances.

Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, stated that the system 'puts powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that's most helpful and relevant for you and it protects your privacy at every step.'

The decision to incorporate OpenAI’s ChatGPT was anticipated but is considered unusual for Apple, a company known for closely guarding its products. Both Google and Microsoft have encountered scrutiny over errors made by their AI products recently. Apple's reluctance to allow third-party apps outside its App Store or non-Safari web browsers had only changed due to EU legislation.

This move to integrate ChatGPT may suggest that even Apple acknowledges it cannot currently compete with the capabilities of OpenAI. The company mentioned plans to integrate other third-party products in the future but did not specify which ones.

Additionally, Apple announced that its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, will become available in the UK on July 12, following its initial release in the US in February. Other new features were also unveiled during the developers' conference.