Here Are Apple’s Hidden Strategies for Integrating AI into Your iPhone

Apple's recent strategic moves suggest a significant shift toward enhancing AI capabilities, as the company appears eager to integrate deep learning and Large Language Models (LLM) into its devices. A report by Financial Times highlights Apple's ongoing acquisitions, team reorganizations, and new hires aimed at advancing AI technology for iPhones.

One area of focus is Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, which has fallen behind in comparison to the more advanced Google Assistant. To regain its edge, Apple seems poised to follow Google's lead in boosting its digital assistant's functionality.

Google has successfully integrated the generative AI capabilities of Bard into Google Assistant, set to launch on both Android and iOS devices soon. This upgrade will enable Assistant to process inputs in various formats—text, audio, and media—leveraging the multi-modal features of the PaLM-2 language model. This new functionality is akin to the multi-search feature of Google Lens, recently added to devices like the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series. Moreover, Assistant will be seamlessly integrated into widely-used services such as Gmail and Docs. This means the assistant will be capable of contextually relevant tasks, like drafting social media posts based on current onscreen content.

The Financial Times report also indicates that Apple plans to equip Siri with a proprietary LLM developed internally, rather than relying on external solutions like Meta’s Llama or OpenAI’s GPT. Earlier this year, Apple discreetly introduced a language model named Ferret, created in collaboration with experts from Columbia University.

Another significant focus for Apple is the on-device execution of LLM-based tasks, a feature that mirrors capabilities seen in the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24, powered by Google’s Gemini Nano model. This on-device approach enhances performance, enabling AI capabilities without an internet connection, which not only speeds up tasks but also enhances user privacy since data remains on the device. Bloomberg previously reported on Apple's exploration of an initiative called “Apple GPT,” which is still in the internal testing phases. The company’s AI developments could reach fruition in 2024, with rumors suggesting an AI-powered avatar of Siri may debut alongside iOS 18 this year.

In addition to upgrading Siri, Apple aims to incorporate generative AI features into more applications, including Messages. Competitors like Samsung and Google have already showcased innovative implementations of these capabilities, featuring enhancements such as Magic Compose, style suggestions, and real-time translation for chats.

While Apple has yet to disclose specific plans or timelines for integrating AI into its products, particularly the iPhone, potential announcements could emerge during the next WWDC developer conference later this year. Notably, Apple has praised the AI capabilities of its latest silicon, particularly the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro models, hinting at the imminent evolution of on-device AI and a more intelligent Siri—potentially beginning with its current flagship smartphones.