After the grand AI banquet that was Samsung’s prestigious Galaxy S24 series phones, rumors swirl that Apple may soon partake in the enchanting realm of deep learning and Large Language Models (LLM) that empower creations like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Per a report from the esteemed Financial Times, Apple has been on a fervent spree of acquisitions, organizational reshuffles, and fresh recruitments to cultivate AI prowess for their beloved iPhones.
At the heart of these AI acquisitions lies Siri, the on-device virtual assistant that has recently faced stiff competition from the notably astute Google Assistant. It appears Apple is set to emulate Google’s strategy by infusing their digital assistant with unprecedented capabilities.
Google has already instilled the creative AI brilliance of Bard into Google Assistant, with the enhanced experience poised for release on both Android and iOS devices. So, what transformations can we anticipate with Google Assistant’s latest iteration?
Thanks to the multi-modal functionalities of the underlying PaLM-2 large language model, Assistant featuring Bard will soon accommodate text, audio, and media-based inputs. Picture it as a multifaceted search tool brought to life by Google Lens, now integrated into the Circle to Search feature arriving on the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series phones.
Furthermore, Assistant with Bard will seamlessly integrate into popular Google services like Gmail and Docs. This upgraded assistant will possess a deep understanding of on-screen content at all times, adept at executing contextually relevant tasks such as crafting a tailored social media post based on the current on-screen image.
The Financial Times report also hints at Siri harnessing the power of an in-house developed LLM by Apple, diverging from licensed products like Meta’s Llama, OpenAI’s GPT, or Google’s PaLM. Notably, Apple discreetly unveiled a large language model dubbed Ferret earlier this year in collaboration with scholars at Columbia University.
A focus of Apple seems to be centered on executing LLM-based tasks through an on-device approach, akin to the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 utilizing Google’s Gemini Nano model. This approach offers the advantage of AI operations no longer dependent on internet connectivity for cloud services, thereby accelerating operations significantly while ensuring heightened privacy with user data remaining on the device.
A report from Bloomberg last year hinted at Apple’s work on “Apple GPT” based on an in-house language model, though limited to internal testing. Apple’s AI endeavors may finally come to fruition in 2024. Another report from Bloomberg suggests an AI-powered incarnation of Siri may debut this year, possibly coinciding with the launch of iOS 18.
Beyond enhancing Siri’s intelligence and responsiveness, Apple aims to infuse generative AI capabilities into more apps like Messages. Samsung and Google have set a precedent for such implementation through innovative features like Magic Compose, style suggestions, real-time offline language translation for chats, and more.
Apple has yet to unveil specifics regarding the implementation of AI across their product lineup, particularly the iPhone. However, given the competitive landscape, it wouldn’t be surprising to catch a glimpse of Apple’s AI advancements at their forthcoming WWDC developer conference. Apple has lauded the AI capabilities of their latest silicon, including the A17 Pro powering the iPhone 15 Pro duo, hinting at a potential era of on-device AI and an enhanced Siri experience commencing with their current flagship offerings.
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