Apple’s Quiet Approach to AI and New iPhone Features Raises Questions

Apple remained surprisingly quiet about artificial intelligence during its recent product event, focusing instead on new features rather than AI terminology. After facing criticism for not delivering promised AI enhancements, Apple appears to be more cautious this year. While new tools like Workout Buddy highlight innovative uses of technology, the company still faces challenges that could affect its reputation in the long run.

Apple has taken a surprisingly low-key approach regarding AI at its latest product event, particularly when compared to competitors who often dominate conversations around cutting-edge tech. It’s kind of a stark contrast, really. For years, the company avoided directly calling its advanced technology AI, opting instead for terms like “machine learning” or “proactive”. This was a deliberate branding choice – a way to sidestep the often over-hyped AI buzz.

Things started to shift last year when Apple started to embrace the term at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The company was pushing back against pressure from investors and critics who claimed it was lagging behind in the AI race. However, despite the newfound vocabulary, Apple has yet to deliver on many promised features, prompting critiques that it lacks transparency. John Gruber, a well-known Apple commentator, encapsulated this sentiment, noting there’s “something rotten in the state of Cupertino”.

Fast forward to this year, and it seems Apple might be taking it all in stride. The tech giant unveiled features that are not just promising but are expected to arrive soon. The keynote bore evidence of functioning demonstrations, but it was a bit of a mixed bag. Perhaps due to a desire to show realism, some live demos felt a little slow and had slight lag times. It’s almost as if they wanted to be transparent, but not too showy.

Nevertheless, Apple featured new tools that harness AI technology, like improved translation features and Genmoji for emoji creation. Yet, here’s the catch: the company avoided calling these enhancements AI features, instead branding them simply as new tools. Such a pivot signals a strategic return to its roots: delivering user-friendly products.

Also interestingly, they rolled out a new feature called Workout Buddy. Handy as it sounds, it’s basically an upbeat AI cheerleader for your workout sessions. It motivates you before, during, and after exercising, delivering positive affirmations and highlights of milestones in an energetic voice reminiscent of trainers from its Fitness+ service. Developing this feature involved an impressive feat of engineering—building a data analysis system that reconstructs these cheerful voices without them turning into nagging coaches.

But here’s the kicker – although Apple’s new products sound intriguing, experts agree they still fall short in certain areas. For example, its conversational AI model pales compared to others on the market like the ones from OpenAI. Plus, lingering disappointments about previously promised enhancements to Siri are still fresh, affecting the brand’s reputation.

In the face of such challenges, Apple’s executives suggest they don’t always need to create technology as long as they offer platforms for that tech to thrive. They aren’t trying to invent the next big AI or social network; instead, they focus on enriching user experience, which has historically brought them success. Still, with former Apple design head Jony Ive in collaboration with OpenAI on new AI devices, the competition is heating up.

So, while the future of AI developments at Apple hangs in the balance, adopting a wait-and-see approach might just be the right move for now. Letting the tech do the talking, rather than making a big buzz, could be a calculated choice as it navigates this tricky landscape—for now, silence might prove golden for Apple.

In summary, Apple appears to be adopting a more cautious and strategic stance on AI and new product features, opting to focus on user-friendly applications rather than overly hype the underlying technology. This year’s event showed that while they are pushing forward with exciting features, they are also mindful of past criticisms and the need for transparency. However, challenges remain, especially regarding their AI capabilities, which could have long-lasting impacts on consumer trust. The road ahead for Apple in the AI arena seems uncertain but certainly intriguing.

Original Source: www.independent.co.uk