Apple Teams with OpenAI for ChatGPT in iOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Key Takeaway

• Apple partners with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into devices, enhancing Siri and introducing "Apple Intelligence" in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.
• Emphasizing privacy, Apple's AI models will run locally on devices or on Apple-controlled servers, ensuring user data remains within its ecosystem.
• Developers gain new tools with updated SDKs to incorporate AI features like image creation and writing tools into their apps.

Apple Announces Partnership with OpenAI

On Monday, Apple announced a significant partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its devices. This announcement was made during Apple's annual developer conference, where CEO Tim Cook emphasized that the company's "next big step" will be driven by generative AI and large language models. The integration aims to enhance the capabilities of Apple's Siri voice assistant and provide more personalized features on its devices.

Apple's new generative AI models, collectively termed "Apple Intelligence," will be embedded in its upcoming operating systems, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. These models are designed to prioritize user privacy by running locally on devices and on Apple's own servers. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice-president for software engineering, stated, "It’s aware of your personal data without collecting your personal data."

Focus on Privacy and Security

Apple has emphasized that its approach to AI will prioritize user privacy and security. The company claims that any personal data used to train its AI models will remain within its ecosystem. These models will run as much as possible on the device itself, and when cloud services are needed, the queries will be directed to servers owned and controlled by Apple. This approach aims to ensure that users will not notice whether the data is processed locally or in the cloud.

The new features enabled by this technology include custom-generated emojis, smart photo editing, writing and drawing assistants, and a more contextually aware Siri. For more complex queries, Siri will leverage OpenAI's ChatGPT. Users will receive a prompt from Siri before using this feature, and OpenAI has promised "built-in" privacy protections, ensuring that requests will not be stored and users' IP addresses will be obscured.

Enhancements to Siri and Developer Tools

Siri is set to receive a significant upgrade with the integration of Apple's generative AI models. The voice assistant will now offer a more natural interactive experience with richer language comprehension. Siri will also be able to handle more specific queries by tapping into the intelligence of ChatGPT. For example, users can send a picture of an ingredient to Siri, which will then use OpenAI's models to identify it and recommend recipes.

Apple also announced that developers would be able to integrate Apple Intelligence into their own apps. The company's software development kits (SDKs) have been updated with new APIs and frameworks, allowing app makers to incorporate AI-powered features like image creation and writing tools. Developers who have already adopted SiriKit will see immediate enhancements in Siri's capabilities without additional work.

Street Views

• Gene Munster, Deepwater Asset Management (Neutral on Apple's AI capabilities):

  "It doesn’t surprise me [that Apple focused on its own solutions] because they want to emphasise that they are in control... There is a 'light year gap' between their model’s capabilities and OpenAI’s, and 'they are not going to play that piece up'."

• Francisco Jeronimo, IDC research group (Bullish on Apple's future device sales):

  "The event marked 'the beginning of a new era for Apple and for their users', with Apple positioning itself to benefit from a future 'supercycle' of device sales as it transitions to new 'intelligent devices'."