Apple is set to enhance its Siri voice assistant and operating systems by integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as the company aims to catch up in the competitive AI landscape.
The iPhone maker revealed this significant upgrade alongside a variety of other features during its annual developers conference on Monday.
This initiative is part of a broader personalized AI system named “Apple Intelligence,” designed to streamline user interactions with Apple devices.
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The updates will allow users to access ChatGPT through a collaboration with OpenAI, with the AI’s capabilities extending to text and content generation. The test version of this integration is expected to be available by autumn.
Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the transformative potential of this move, stating it would elevate the company’s products “to new heights” during his keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Despite the announcement, the market reaction was tepid, with Apple’s share price dropping 1.91% on the day. Additionally, Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and Twitter/X, criticized the partnership, threatening to ban iPhones from his companies over “data security” concerns. Musk accused Apple of lacking control over data once handed to OpenAI, claiming they were compromising user privacy.
Apple has yet to respond to these allegations.
The tech giant has been under pressure to integrate advanced AI features into its products following successful implementations by competitors. After losing its position as the world’s most valuable company to Microsoft in January, Apple was further surpassed by chip-maker Nvidia in early June.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, commented that while Apple’s new AI system might reassure investors, the reliance on ChatGPT could expose and exacerbate the company’s limitations. He noted that the integration might highlight Siri’s shortcomings by involving ChatGPT where Siri fails.
“Apple Intelligence” is not a standalone product or app but will be embedded across all Apple apps and products. This integration aims to assist users with various tasks, from refining message drafts to optimizing travel routes, akin to Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot, but without extra charges for activation. Siri has been revamped with a new interface and a more conversational approach to enhance user navigation of devices and apps.
During the keynote, Apple emphasized the security of “Apple Intelligence.” Some processing will be handled on the device, while more power-intensive tasks will be cloud-based, with assurances that no data will be stored in the cloud. This approach is crucial for customers who value Apple’s strong privacy commitments. 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,” leveraging personal context to provide relevant intelligence while safeguarding privacy.
The integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology had been anticipated but marks an unusual step for Apple, which traditionally guards its proprietary products. In contrast, Google and Microsoft have recently faced scrutiny over AI errors, with Google even rolling back a feature due to viral inaccuracies. Historically, Apple has restricted app downloads to its App Store and web browsers to Safari, citing security concerns, a stance only recently softened due to EU regulations. This integration suggests Apple acknowledges the current dominance of OpenAI’s technology.
Additionally, Apple announced the UK release of its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, on 12 July, following its US launch in February. Other new features revealed on Monday include text messaging via satellite, scheduling messages for later delivery, using head gestures to control AirPods Pro, a cross-device password management app, and the ability to hide or secure certain apps with Face ID or passcodes.
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