Apple is reportedly looking to advance the AI capabilities of its devices. Recent moves indicate that the tech giant may be looking at generative AI to “transform” its suite of products.
Apple appears to be push forward aggressively into the area of AI development, according to a new analysis of the tech giant’s recruitment trends as well as other actions.
VentureBeat’s Michael Nuñeza published an analysis that points to recent moves by Apple to, among other things, hire great numbers of people who are skilled in the area of artificial intelligence.
Nuñez notes that Apple is currently advertising at least 88 AI-related positions on its job portal. The jobs posted cover areas that include visual generative modeling, proactive intelligence and applied AI research.
The job listings provide a glimpse into Apple’s plans for AI, according to Nuñez. He draws this conclusion “even as the company has been tight-lipped about any specific plans”, adding that Apple CEO Tim Cook “declined to discuss product roadmaps during a recent Q2 earnings call when asked about Apple’s AI strategy”. The top exec did, however, coyly mention that the technology presented “enormous” opportunities.
Looking to develop “extraordinary products”
The article quotes a specific job listing that may be particularly telling: “AI represents a huge opportunity to elevate Apple’s products and experiences for billions of people globally.” Nuñez also notes that the listing says the job would include “leveraging state-of-the-art generative models to ship extraordinary products, services and customer experiences for the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, iPad and more”.
Nuñez goes on to cite a Wall Street Journal report that says Apple has recently restricted employees from using external AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and GitHub’s Copilot. According to the WSJ, Apple told staff not to use those tools because “they could release sensitive data”.
“The moves suggest Apple aims to advance its own AI efforts to avoid relying on other companies’ technologies”, Nuñez asserts. The reason, he deduces, is clear: “With vast resources and more than a billion iPhone users, Apple is well positioned to develop innovative AI for its products”.
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