Apple Inc. is reportedly building its own artificial intelligence tools to outrival OpenAI Inc., Google and Microsoft.
However, according to a report by Bloomberg, the tech giant has not finalised its strategy for releasing the technology to consumers.
According to people familiar with the matter, the report said, Apple has built its own framework called “Ajax” to create large language models, similar to the AI systems found in ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
Additionally, the American multinational technology company has also created an internal chatbot service referred to as “Apple GPT.”
This AI push has become a significant undertaking for Apple in recent months, with various teams collaborating on the project.
The company is not only working on advancing the technology but also addressing potential privacy concerns related to AI.
The news of the tech company’s AI efforts led to a positive response in the market, with its shares rising to a record high of $198.23, while Microsoft, the main backer of OpenAI, saw a slight decline.
Despite weaving AI features into products over the years, Apple faced challenges when rivals introduced AI-based offerings like ChatGPT and Google Bard.
While its Siri voice assistant has not seen significant advancements, Apple has made AI progress in other areas, such as photos, search, and auto-correct improvements.
CEO Tim Cook has been cautious in publicly addressing the influx of AI services, acknowledging the potential but also emphasizing the need to address issues surrounding the technology. He said that AI would be integrated into more products on a “very thoughtful basis.”
Behind the scenes, the Cupertino-based company recognised the importance of staying ahead in the AI landscape and began laying the foundation with its Ajax framework.
This framework not only powers AI-related improvements in search, Siri, and maps but also serves as the basis for the internal ChatGPT-style tool. However, access to the system is limited, and its output cannot be used for customer-facing features.
While Apple is actively working on improving its AI models, it is still trying to determine the best approach for consumers.
A cross-company effort between its AI and software engineering groups, along with the cloud services engineering team, is underway to make significant AI-related announcements next year.
Leading these initiatives are John Giannandrea, head of machine learning and AI, and Craig Federighi, Apple’s top software engineering executive. Although the two leaders have different approaches, they are at the forefront of the company’s AI endeavors.
Apple’s ambitious plans for AI
Notably, the company conducted a trial of OpenAI’s technology and considered a larger contract with the company, which licenses its services to Microsoft, Shutterstock Inc., and Salesforce Inc.
Apple’s Ajax system is built on top of Google Jax, and the company runs its AI system on Google Cloud, complementing its own infrastructure and Amazon.com Inc.’s AWS.
Moreover, Apple is seeking to hire more experts in generative AI, promising to apply the technology to how people communicate, create, connect, and consume media on their iPhones and other devices.
Integrating Apple’s large language models (LLMs) into Siri is seen as a potential breakthrough, allowing the voice assistant to conduct more tasks on behalf of users.
While it has faced criticism for lagging behind competitors in the AI space, it has defended its AI strategy, emphasising its widespread use across various products.
Two initiatives that could put Apple on the AI map include a health coaching service codenamed “Quartz,” which relies on AI to personalize plans using data from the Apple Watch, and the use of AI in its future electric car for self-driving capabilities.
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