Apple developing AI chatbot like ChatGPT: Report

Apple is developing an artificial intelligence tool to compete with OpenAI, Google, and other tech companies, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed in his new report. The company has already built a chatbot internally known as "Apple GPT."  

Apple has, however, not decided any date to launch this technology but an announcement is expected next year.

The AI project at Apple is being handled by multiple teams, led by John Giannandrea, head of machine learning and AI, and Craig Federighi, the top software engineering executive, the report said.

According to the report, Apple has developed its own framework called "Ajax" for building large language models, the AI systems behind offerings like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. Ajax operates on Google Cloud and was constructed using Google JAX, the search giant's machine learning framework. Apple is utilising Ajax to build its large language models and as the foundation for an internal ChatGPT-style tool. 

Initially, the internal rollout of the chatbot was paused due to security concerns related to generative AI. However, it has now been expanded to more Apple employees, with special approval still required for access. Notably, the chatbot's output cannot be used to develop customer features. 

Within Apple, employees find the chatbot useful for product prototyping, as it can summarise text and provide answers based on its training data. However, the company's chatbot doesn't offer any unique features beyond what's already available in commercially offered alternatives like Bard, ChatGPT, and Bing AI, the report said. 

While companies like Alphabet and Microsoft have embraced AI and integrated it into their products, Apple has been more cautious. They didn't make any big AI-related announcements at their developer conference in June. However, the report reveals that Apple has quietly incorporated advanced AI features into certain products, such as Apple Photos, on-device texting, and their new mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro. 

The generative AI market is gaining popularity, with products that can create essays, images, and videos based on text prompts. This has caught the interest of consumers and businesses alike, leading to a surge in related offerings. 

According to a report by Research and Markets, the conversational AI market is projected to reach $29.8 billion by 2028, growing from $10.7 billion in 2023, with a promising compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.6% during the forecast period. The report emphasizes the importance of integrating AI into conversational AI solutions, particularly in the form of virtual assistants, which is expected to greatly benefit businesses in various sectors. 

Apple's language models could be best utilised within Siri, enhancing the voice assistant's capabilities to perform various tasks for users. However, the report didn't mention the specific integration spot chosen by the company.