Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 keynote on Monday is set to be a watershed moment for the tech giant. The stakes are higher than usual, as Tim Cook and his team are expected to unveil Apple’s long-awaited generative AI strategy.
For years, Apple has been conspicuously quiet on AI while competitors like Google and Microsoft have aggressively embraced technologies like ChatGPT and Gemini. The industry consensus is that large language models will revolutionize how we interact with our devices.
Rumors suggest Apple will announce a partnership with OpenAI, integrating the latter’s AI prowess into iPhones and Macs. The near-term plan is to deeply integrate generative AI with existing Apple products, particularly Siri. Despite being a pioneer in voice assistants since 2011, Siri has fallen short of its revolutionary promise, primarily due to capability limitations.
Generative AI, while not yet perfect, offers a potential solution. Google has been experimenting with integrating its Gemini AI into Android, signaling a future where it may replace Google Assistant entirely. Apple, deeply committed to the Siri brand, is likely to follow suit, with generative AI eventually superseding traditional voice assistants.
The decline in smart speaker shipments underscores the need for a major overhaul in this space. Early generative AI devices like the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 show promise but also highlight the technology’s current limitations.
By partnering with OpenAI, Apple acknowledges its late entry into the generative AI race. This strategy echoes Steve Jobs’ 2010 comment on the Siri acquisition: “We’re not going into the search business. Other people do it well.” Similarly, Apple recognizes that it can’t beat OpenAI at its own game—yet.
However, even the best AI models are not ready to fully replace current smart assistants. WWDC 2024 will reveal how Apple plans to bridge this gap and redefine its AI future.
