On May 27th, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple has reached an agreement with artificial intelligence company OpenAI to introduce a series of generative AI features in this year's iOS 18 system.
Screenshot of social media webpage
It is reported that Apple is in a series of negotiations with Google, hoping to use Google's Gemini as another option for the iOS system.
According to Gurman, Apple plans to officially announce a cooperation agreement with OpenAI at the upcoming WWDC 2024, and is expected to release an improved Siri voice assistant at that time.
Here is an overview of multiple AI features that Apple is about to launch:
Voice memo transcription: Apple will add a larger recording button, allowing users to convert recordings into text through the voice to text function.
Memorandum application upgrade: The memo application will support recording audio and summarizing voice content into readable text.
Email/SMS message improvement: Improves email and SMS functionality, supporting automatic generation of reply content and emoticons based on context.
Safari Web Eraser Function: Added a "Web Eraser" feature that allows users to delete specific parts of a webpage, enhancing privacy protection.
Spotlight search feature improvement: providing a faster and more reliable search experience.
Siri Interactive Chat Improvement: Improve Siri on the iOS/WatchOS platform to make interaction more natural.
Intelligent organizing notifications: intelligently organizing notifications missed by users to improve user experience.
Photo function improvement: Added "Clean Up" function, users can use the brush tool to delete specific objects in photos.
According to media reports cited by the Daily Economic News, it has been reported that Apple is currently finalizing an agreement with OpenAI to introduce some of its technology into the iPhone this year. Through this, Apple will be able to provide chatbots supported by ChatGPT as part of the artificial intelligence feature in iOS 18. However, the specific details of the above functions and integration are still unknown. In addition, the report quoted insiders as saying that Apple also had negotiations with Google to authorize the Gemini chatbot.
Canalys analyst Kieren Jessop revealed to reporters that Apple has been in negotiations with companies such as Google and OpenAI to discuss collaboration and integration of AI features. Apple's first major foray into generative AI is likely to be at next month's WWDC (World Developers Conference), where improvements will be made to Siri Features such as Journal and its development tool suite. "According to reports, Apple will provide some AI features within this year through data centers equipped with its own processors, as part of Apple's efforts to inject AI into its devices."
In addition, an anonymous securities analyst analyzed that "currently, ChatGPT is installed on mobile phones in the form of an app, so overseas iPhone users can directly download the app if they want to use ChatGPT. Therefore, if the content of the cooperation between the two parties can be further optimized with Apple's built-in Siri voice assistant, it will be a significant change. This will allow domestic users to use various chat and dialogue functions even without downloading ChatGPT. Based on the accumulation of OpenAI in the AI field, Apple will also enhance its competitiveness in the field of intelligent interaction and shorten the research and development cycle.".
In fact, facing fierce competition in AI technology, the collaboration between Apple and OpenAI gives people reason to expect a more intelligent and interactive Siri. For Apple, this may also be an important step in consolidating its leadership position in the global technology field.
Currently, some specific end-to-end AI functional use cases include hardware optimization, AI can provide assistance to the operating system based on user behavior or scenarios to optimize battery life or camera imaging; In terms of image and video editing, in addition to eliminating objects and intelligent cropping, users can also use AI driven functions to obtain more desired photos and a better video editing experience, such as automatic color correction, background replacement, etc; In terms of content, AI will be able to extract content from lengthy content in various formats (such as audio, video, email attachments) and generate concise content.
The aforementioned securities analyst said, "Currently, AI applications among major manufacturers are becoming more homogeneous. If Apple and OpenAI cooperate, what level can they achieve is something that everyone is looking forward to.". In fact, the more idealized feature that manufacturers expect is, AI assistants can be deeply integrated into operating systems, possessing the ability to understand and predict user needs, thereby providing support for seamless cross application services.