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Apple is working on new artificial intelligence tools with more details to be revealed "later this year," says CEO Tim Cook.
Apple is continuing to invest in emerging technology like AI and is putting "a tremendous amount of time and effort" into its AI plans, Cook said during Apple's quarterly earnings call on Thursday.
Last year, Cook said Apple would deploy AI on a "very thoughtful basis" and claimed Apple had "made enormous progress integrating AI and machine learning throughout our ecosystem."
The company also tested generative AI tools internally like a chatbot service using Ajax, which is built on Google's Jax, which some Apple engineers reportedly call "Apple GPT," Bloomberg reports. In 2023, The Information reported that Apple was spending "millions of dollars a day" on AI development.
Apple has had its Neural Engine, a type of computer processor that can support machine learning (ML) and AI applications, since 2017 as part of Apple's A11 Bionic chip. In 2020, it introduced its own Apple M1 silicon chip that also uses the Neural Engine.
Apple also uses AI for different features like "fall detection" on the Apple Watch, and ML for predictive typing on Apple devices, Face ID, its Camera app, and other features. Siri, Apple's voice assistant launched back in 2011, was also built using ML.
Compared to its big tech competitors like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, Apple hasn't made nearly as much of a public stir about its AI plans. Google launched two new AI image generator tools, Bard and ImageFX, this week, while Microsoft launched Copilot Pro, an AI-powered assistant, last month. But Apple has long operated on its own schedule and only released products when it believes they're ready.