Tim Cook has spent the last few months preparing the Apple faithful for the company's first foray into generative artificial intelligence (AI), and has repeatedly said the company is on the brink of launching its own AI tool to compete with the likes of ChatGPT. Now, the Apple boss has just dropped another huge hint of what we can expect to see.
Speaking at Apple’s annual shareholders meeting (via MacRumors), Cook claimed that the company will “break new ground” in the field of generative AI – and this wasn’t some vague pledge that we’ll have to wait years to see come to fruition, as Cook said it’s going to happen this year.
In early February 2024, the Apple CEO said there was “a huge opportunity for Apple with generative AI.” In his most recent call, he was in a similarly bullish mood when he announced that “We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users.”
Of course, Cook didn’t go into detail on what exactly those opportunities will be – no doubt he would rather wait until Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June to reveal that. But there are plenty of areas where we expect to see generative AI make its mark on Apple’s products.
Coming soon to iOS 18
Much like how Microsoft has infused its Copilot AI into its suite of homegrown apps, we expect Apple will do something similar with its own AI model. Apps like Pages and Numbers could get a virtual assistant to make your work easier, while Apple Music might get a virtual DJ similar to what Spotify currently offers. This is all speculation at the moment, but it’s not hard to see how Apple might follow its rivals in these areas.
There’s a different rumor that has a bit more corroboration, though: AI could soon enhance Siri. Apple’s assistant has been lagging behind competitors for years now, and generative AI could give it the shot in the arm it so desperately needs. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman – who has previously leaked highly accurate information about Apple’s future plans – Siri could get a “big upgrade” with this year’s iOS 18, which might be “one of the biggest iOS updates – if not the biggest – in the company's history.”
That means Apple has a chance to finally catch up with its rivals when it comes to generative AI, and put right years of poor Siri performance. With just a few months to go until iOS 18 debuts at WWDC, we’re waiting with bated breath.
