(Credit: Apple)
When "Sent from my iPhone" first started appearing below emails, it served two purposes: A humblebrag for the sender to let everyone know they owned a pricey Apple device and a warning that the message may be brief or typo-heavy since it was tapped out on a phone.
Those four words quietly introduced the concept that those who send messages with new technologies should disclose how the technology itself affects its contents. "Sent from my iPhone" may be a relic at this point, but the influx of AI-generated text on the web demands a new version of the disclosure. A simple "Created with ChatGPT" or "Edited by Apple Intelligence" could do the trick. Without it, the web risks relinquishing the little authenticity it still offers.
AI writing assistants are nothing new, but last week, Apple announced plans to integrate them across its devices with Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools. A small Rewrite icon will appear next to every text field on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which will offer suggestions on how to write more clearly and concisely or shift the tone to be more “friendly” or “formal." The idea, Apple says, is to "help users feel more confident in their writing [and] deliver the right words to meet the occasion."
Not sure what to say in the first place? A ChatGPT integration can write the whole email for you.
Only the latest Apple products support these features; to try them out this year, you'll need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max (and presumably iPhone 16) or an M1 iPad or Mac. But soon enough, the upgrade cycle means Apple Intelligence will expand its reach.
Then, that friend who used to misspell words or speak in fragments might send you publication-worthy paragraphs. Or your romantically challenged significant other will fire off Casanova-level texts written by ChatGPT (a South Park episode come to life). An online business that claims to be local, with a blog about community events to back it up, could be run by someone thousands of miles away who uses AI to write all the content.
Google and Microsoft have their own versions of Apple's Writing Tools. Microsoft's Copilot Pro can help you write, edit, and analyze content in Microsoft Office, while Google's AI can write for you in Google Docs, Gmail, and more.
If these companies are successful, it may become impossible to know if the messages we receive from friends, family, and coworkers are manipulated by AI.
(Credit: Apple)I'll admit these writing assistants sound pretty helpful. Not everyone is a skilled writer; many will welcome the option to clean up their copy with the push of a Rewrite button. The downside is people misrepresenting their skills or using these tools to cheat. Silicon Valley, of course, presents more sunny examples of how this can be helpful in day-to-day life, like using the tools to craft custom bedtime stories for children.
However, widespread AI-based writing also undermines productivity. Forget today’s typos and autocorrect slip-ups: AI could introduce errors on a whole other level if the human behind the keyboard doesn't thoroughly check an AI's work. Apple CEO Tim Cook admits that Apple Intelligence may hallucinate just like its AI counterparts.
Productivity aside, this is also a question for AI ethicists. Is it deceptive to send an AI-generated communication without disclosing it? In sensitive conversations, the recipient may want to know, but there are currently no established norms around disclosure. Even worse—what if the AI selects offensive words or phrases from their vast troves of murky training data?
Disclaimers on AI-generated content may be a goofy stopgap. Even "Sent from my iPhone" could be removed or edited to say something else entirely. But in 2024, something like it is a necessary short-term measure until we learn more about how AI models work and develop a shared understanding of how to use them respectfully.