January 08, 2024 – In his latest “Power On” newsletter, renowned Apple insider Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple is gearing up to unveil a suite of generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.
According to Gurman, the tech giant is set to roll out a select number of AI capabilities this year, with these new tools forming part of the upcoming iOS 18 update. Chief among these is an enhanced version of Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, which will now feature natural conversation capabilities, enabling a more personalized experience for users.
Speculations suggest that the revamped Siri could potentially sync conversations across multiple devices, thanks to rumored cross-device functionality. This marks a significant step forward in the integration of AI into Apple’s ecosystem.
Since early 2023, Apple has been quietly testing “Ajax,” a large language model (LLM) designed to power its own set of AI tools. This includes chatbots and language processing features that could enhance the functionality of its core applications and productivity suite, comprising apps like Pages and Keynote.
Furthermore, developers can look forward to a new version of Xcode, Apple’s integrated development environment, harnessing AI to aid in coding tasks. This integration is expected to streamline the development process and make it more efficient.
Apple is also exploring ways to integrate AI into Apple Music, potentially creating automated playlists tailored to users’ listening habits. Additionally, the company is eyeing the use of this technology to address customer service issues within its AppleCare support system.
Despite the flurry of AI-related developments, Gurman cautions that it might take until at least 2025 for Apple to fully realize its ambitious generative AI vision. In the meantime, the upcoming WWDC promises to shed more light on the company’s plans and how it intends to leverage this transformative technology.
