Apple is secretly developing its own artificial intelligence tools to take on recent offerings like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, according to a report from Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Internal Apple Projects Point to AI Push
The iPhone maker has apparently built an internal framework called “Ajax” to create large language models – the AI systems that power chatbots like ChatGPT.
Apple engineers have also built a chatbot they refer to as “Apple GPT,” likely in reference to OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT bot.
While Apple has yet to announce any competing services, the company is determined not to miss out on this potentially massive shift in consumer technology.
Over the past year, ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing have captured the public imagination and sparked a frenzy of new generative AI products.
However, Apple’s own flagship AI product – voice assistant Siri – has stagnated in recent years.
Playing Catch-Up in AI Race
Bloomberg’s sources say Apple’s new AI push has become a significant initiative in the past few months, with multiple teams now collaborating on the project.
The work apparently includes looking at ways to address privacy concerns around large language models. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been cautious in public comments about AI, saying the technology still has “issues to be sorted” despite its potential.
According to insiders, Apple built Ajax last year to unify its machine-learning efforts.
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The framework is now being used to create large language models and power the Apple GPT chatbot.
While not meant for public release right now, Apple employees are using the internal chatbot for product prototyping. It can summarise text and answer questions based on training data.
“Apple’s tool essentially replicates Bard, ChatGPT and Bing AI, and doesn’t include any novel features or technology,” one source told Bloomberg.
However, the company is still working actively to improve its models.
Realising the Importance of AI
It seems Apple now realises these new AI capabilities could profoundly change how people use devices.
While the company earned nearly $320 billion last fiscal year mainly from current products like the iPhone, failing to capitalise on AI advancements could risk its dominance.
For now, Apple is still playing catch-up. But given the massive resources it can dedicate to AI development, the company may soon make waves in this rapidly evolving space.
Apple has not yet announced concrete plans to launch any generative AI services. But according to Bloomberg, it aims to make a significant AI-related announcement next year.
