Apple’s Job Listings Indicate a Strategy to Integrate AI Across Various Products

Apple is intensifying its focus on integrating generative AI into its product lineup, following the introduction of a “Transformer” model-based autocorrect feature in iOS 17 earlier this year. In recent weeks, the company has posted multiple job openings emphasizing its needs for generative AI expertise. For instance, a position on the App Store showcases Apple’s aim to develop a generative AI-based platform to enhance the internal developer experience and support the app development team.

Another listing in the Apple Retail department highlights the creation of a “conversational AI platform (voice and chat)” to facilitate customer engagement. Job descriptions also specify tasks related to developing text generation technologies such as “long-form text generation, summarization, and question-answering.” Additional AI/ML job postings indicate a focus on foundational models, featuring a “human-like conversational agent” as an application that could emerge from this work. The company has further outlined needs in departments like Siri Information Intelligence, which manages features such as Siri and Spotlight search. Moreover, Apple is keen to hire experts to develop models that can function locally on devices.

While Apple has previously sought talent for generative AI roles, this recent wave of job listings is notably more precise about the company’s expectations. Over the weekend, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple plans to allocate over $1 billion annually to enhance its generative AI products and features. The report cited a source familiar with Apple’s strategy, indicating that failing to release generative AI products would be viewed as a significant internal setback.

Apple is focusing on leveraging large language models (LLMs) to enhance functionalities in Siri and the Messages app, incorporating features like sentence completion in the next iOS version, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, the report mentioned that Apple is investigating generative AI applications in tools and services such as Xcode for developer assistance, AI-generated playlists for Apple Music, and AI-assisted writing capabilities in Pages and Keynote.

Although there have been discussions about Apple working on its own “Apple GPT,” the company has yet to launch any consumer-facing applications. In contrast, Apple's competitors, including Microsoft, Google, and Meta, are actively implementing AI-driven features across their hardware and software offerings.