During a call with analysts following Apple’s fiscal first-quarter earnings report, CEO Tim Cook hinted at a potential artificial intelligence (AI) revelation by the company planned for later in the year. Cook didn’t provide much detail, but stressed Apple’s desire to compete with tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI, all of which are developing advanced AI models that can generate text and images.
“We will continue to invest in these and other technologies that will shape the future,” Cook said, referring to AI, an area where Apple has been expending significant time and effort. “We’re excited to share the details of our ongoing work in that space later this year.”
Generative AI began attracting significant interest from tech firms and investors starting in 2022, following the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the rapid advancement of image generators. While Apple has invested heavily in similar machine learning technology, it hasn’t announced an advanced AI model as yet.
Apple usually unveils new software at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Last year, it introduced an autocorrect feature for the iPhone keyboard, utilizing transformer-based language model technology, similar to GPT’s underlying tech.
However, the term “Artificial Intelligence” was notably absent from the presentation, with Apple favouring the more academic phrase “Machine Learning.”
Cook expressed optimism about Apple’s prospects in the gen AI and AI sectors, but refrained from disclosing specific details.
