According to Bloomberg, Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) initiative will be a lengthy and gradual process. The Apple Intelligence program announced by the company last week is expected to be available for developer testing only by late summer. This means it will not be among the first beta versions of Apple's new operating system update and will only offer a preview release this fall. The program is reported to be available only on certain devices and supports American English exclusively, with users potentially needing to join a waitlist to try it out.
Bloomberg notes that this move by Apple signifies a shift in strategy, from releasing fall features at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to previewing features scheduled for release later in the year or early next year, rather than showcasing fall releases. The report states that this approach has several advantages, such as making scheduling easier, allowing Apple to assign engineers to specific features, release them after technical development is complete, and then move them to other projects.
Meanwhile, as reported by PYMNTS last week, Apple's new AI efforts could "transform how consumers interact with their devices and, more importantly, how they shop." If Apple's plans come to fruition, users' iPhones will understand their shopping preferences and predict their next purchase. Apple Intelligence will be able to analyze browsing history, purchasing patterns, and social media activity. Experts say the company is also trying to change how businesses interact with customers. By integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT, Apple devices will soon be able to handle customer inquiries, process orders, and even provide product recommendations.
It is noteworthy that the program adopts a phased rollout strategy, initially supporting only American English, giving Apple more time to train AI models for other languages, which is a significant undertaking. These various indications suggest that Apple is striving to provide consumers with more automated and intuitive services.
