Apple is reportedly working on its generative AI version to fight off rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Bard. The iPhone maker has built a framework to create large language models (LLM) — the core of generative AI tools that can write code, translate languages, generate creative content, and answer questions. The effort, which some within the company called “Apple GPT,” was reportedly developed late last year and aims to unify how Apple develops machine learning. It is reportedly led by John Giannandrea, Apple’s head of machine learning and AI, and Craig Federighi, senior software engineering executive.
As it stands, the Apple GPT tool only works for internal use at the tech giant. It is said to have been created out of security concerns and requires special approval for access. It also reportedly doesn’t include any novel technology and is accessed via a stripped-down web application that isn’t intended for the general public. Despite its limited availability, Apple employees use it to summarize text and speed up product prototyping tasks.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding generative AI, with people lauding it for its ability to turn out relatively coherent strings of words that make sense. However, those strings can also produce lousy writing and potentially even unethical or illegal content. That’s a big concern for some concerned about the future of technology, including some in government.
While Apple has made some strides in incorporating AI into its existing products, such as Siri and an upcoming update to autocorrect on mobile devices, the company has been more relaxed about extra-sophisticated word processing. That may be changing.
Among other things, Apple has reportedly purchased two AI startups specializing in this technology type. That, along with the news that Apple is allegedly working on its version of generative AI, has sent shares in the company up nearly 2% on Wednesday.
The news that Apple is developing its own generative AI comes shortly after the release of the open-source generative AI chatbot called ChatGPT, which has taken the world by storm in just a few short months since it was first released for testing in November 2022. The tool’s popularity has spurred competitors to quickly develop their generative AI offerings, such as Microsoft with Bing and its new image creation tools, Google with Bard and other AI implementations, and Meta.
Until now, Apple has rebuffed efforts to use generative AI in its products, fearing that third-party offerings could leak data or give away secrets. The development of Apple GPT is another indication that the company is taking its stance seriously. There’s yet to be clarity on whether the firm plans to eventually release its GPT offering to consumers, though there could be some announcements next year.
