Apple knows AI is for gruntwork
Apple’s presentation of their upcoming AI implementation
If you’ve followed me for a while, I’ve spoken plenty about how Apple’s genius is not invention.
Apple didn’t invent the graphical user interface or MP3 players or smartphones or wireless earbuds or smartwatches or VR headsets. They created extraordinary versions of these products.
Apple’s superpower is integration. They control software and hardware so they can integrate new technologies in unique ways and create superior experiences.
Apple’s entry into AI follows its standard template. They’ve remained on the sidelines for a while watching things develop, now they’re stepping in to do something exceptional.
This AI integration is major and will affect much of your experience on Apple devices. Here are the features that struck me.
A whole new brain for Siri
Apple has actually been in the AI game since 2011 when they introduced Siri. Alas, Siri has always been pretty bad. Most of my requests just resulted in Siri sending me to a web page. Siri has improved over the years, but I only trust it for very basic stuff like setting alarms.
Modern AI could enable Siri to work the way it was always supposed to work. Execution is everything and we’ll see how well the new Siri functions in action. The margin for error will be quite small. A few nonsensical replies and a messed-up calendar appointment will be enough for plenty of users to bail.
AI is for gruntwork
A major theme of my ChatGPT course is that generative AI is for gruntwork. It’s best at tedious chores, the sort of stuff you would hand off to an intern if you could. If you’re creating something important, you cannot trust AI alone to do it.
Apple appears to be positioning text generation features in a modest way suitable to their real-world use.
The major upcoming features are summaries, proofreading, and rewriting. Summaries have long been one of the most solid features of text generators, and proofreading and rewriting are both effective as long as you also use your judgement. Having these features available everywhere on your device is a big win and this part of Apple’s plan should be a lay-up.
Curb your enthusiasm about Apple image gen
Apple is also integrating image generation into the operating system. Image gen is not very useful and I don’t expect that to change here. I mean, check out this image from their presentation.
An example of Apple’s image generation
That is a brain in the middle, that much is clear. But surrounding it is a bunch warped, mangled musical paraphernalia that looks like somebody drew it with their off-hand.
Apple’s highly-skilled marketing professionals got those results. Ours will be worse.
Apple actually demonstrated how you can use image generation in a slidedeck. People, presentations are important. Our ideas live or die in presentations. Do not put AI images in your slides.
Overall, though, Apple’s image gen emphasis seems to be on personal uses like emojis, avatars, and personal messages. This is where image gen can work, when the images are just for you and your friends and don’t have to withstand public scrutiny.
Apple AI arrives this fall
Apple Intelligence launches this fall as part of their system upgrades. Again, execution will be everything. A major frustration with AI is its sizable failure rate. It won’t take many bad replies for typical users to simply give up on it.
The operating system is the natural habitat for AI. Having AI available to you everywhere, rather than just in an app, is potentially a game-changer and I look forward to this upgrade.
By the way, Apple dubbed its foray into AI, Apple Intelligence. So in Apple-speak, AI now means Apple Intelligence. That is so Apple.