While Apple CEO Tim Cook and his top experts will take center stage at the Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) in Cupertino on June 10, one announcement that might indicate a new phase in the AI wars, is the tech giant’s launch of GenAI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) across iPhone-specific applications such as Siri and iMessage. The real highlight of the developer conference, though, will be witnessing how Apple plans on integrating AI features into its huge global base of 2.2 billion Apple devices. Apple may be able to stand out from the competition by prioritizing user trust-building while implementing AI into Apple devices. This will help them prevent the mistakes made by Google and other companies who have implemented AI in their advertisements carelessly.
Benjamin Kuipers, a computer science and engineering professor at the University of Michigan, told the media, “It is understandable why these tech giants are desperate to achieve the leadership in the AI battle” However, trust is a fundamental quality for individuals, companies, and society. Planning becomes more challenging and executing those plans is more expensive and risky when the trust is lost.
A different side of AI continues despite the excitement, as demonstrated by the negative aspect stories created by Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft in recent months. First, Google had to withdraw its AI Overviews search tool because the new feature delivered false and unusual results just two weeks after its launch. Subsequently, OpenAI faced criticism for appointing a ChatGPT voice that bore striking similarities to Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson, an allegation refuted by the ChatGPT developers.
However, this triggered a wider discussion about the new risks that AI Era brings, such as voice ownership. A new AI-powered Recall function that records everything you do on your PC and is a part of the new line of Copilot Plus PCs raised doubts about Microsoft’s AI aspirations when it was called a cybersecurity “disaster.” Microsoft then changed its mind about the contentious “Recall” function in response to a privacy backlash.
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The GenAI Race Heats Up
“The recent changes in AI, developing on neural networks with deep layers, large language models, and GenAI, has enabled new levels of efficiency at the cost of the inability of the mechanisms and occasional significant illogical errors,” Kuipers stated using Google’s AI Overviews search feature as an example. He mentioned how much people’s trust in Google was damaged by these mistakes.
The feeling of pressure and the fear of falling behind make it hard to stay away from joining the AI movement—a fact that is occasionally missed in the larger AI landscape. Giant Tech has the advantage because any AI tool or feature they launch will draw users in. In actuality, it’s frequently difficult to comprehend how new technology works and finally benefits people and society at large.
While many are questioning Apple for missing the bus and ignoring the potential of GenAI, the truth is that Cupertino has a history of being very cautious about jumping into new tech, and its stance on privacy is clear. According to experts, Apple’s AI strategy will likely center around keeping users’ information more private than how others handle it.
Anisha Bhatia, senior technology analyst at GlobalData stated that “Apple is not on the same AI cadence that Google is, nor is its entire business at stake,”. “So Apple can – and will – approach generative AI cautiously.”
Apple and Google could use different tech companies’ strategies. However, both are dominant platforms with an impressive number of installations, because of their operating systems and their influence over the billions of daily users through their apps. Using an Android device, Google has already shown off what AI is capable of through its own custom apps and products. Apple is following a similar strategy by convincing people around the globe about how AI can play an important role in customers’ lives.
