Apple says it’ll ‘break new ground’ in generative AI – here’s what to expect

Big news for Siri, Apple Music and more

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Tim Cookhas spent the last few months preparing theApplefaithful for the company’s first foray into generative artificial intelligence (AI), and has repeatedly said the company is on the brink of launching its own AI tool to compete with the likes ofChatGPT. Now, the Apple boss has just dropped another huge hint of what we can expect to see.

Speaking at Apple’s annual shareholders meeting (viaMacRumors), Cook claimed that the company will “break new ground” in the field of generative AI – and this wasn’t some vague pledge that we’ll have to wait years to see come to fruition, as Cook said it’s going to happen this year.

Inearly February 2024, the Apple CEO said there was “a huge opportunity for Apple with generative AI.” In his most recent call, he was in a similarly bullish mood when he announced that “We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users.”

Of course, Cook didn’t go into detail on what exactly those opportunities will be – no doubt he would rather wait until Apple’sWorldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)in June to reveal that. But there are plenty of areas where we expect to see generative AI make its mark on Apple’s products.

Coming soon to iOS 18

Much like howMicrosofthas infused itsCopilot AIinto its suite of homegrown apps, we expect Apple will do something similar with its own AI model. Apps like Pages and Numbers could get a virtual assistant to make your work easier, whileApple Musicmight get a virtual DJ similar to whatSpotify currently offers. This is all speculation at the moment, but it’s not hard to see how Apple might follow its rivals in these areas.

There’s a different rumor that has a bit more corroboration, though: AI could soon enhance Siri. Apple’s assistant has beenlagging behind competitorsfor years now, and generative AI could give it the shot in thearmit so desperately needs. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – who has previously leaked highly accurate information about Apple’s future plans –Siri could get a “big upgrade”with this year’siOS 18, which might be “one of the biggest iOS updates – if not the biggest – in the company’s history.”

That means Apple has a chance to finally catch up with its rivals when it comes to generative AI, and put right years of poor Siri performance. With just a few months to go untiliOS 18 debuts at WWDC, we’re waiting with bated breath.

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Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he’s learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That’s all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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