Apple is gearing up to develop its own large language models in-house, amid intensifying competition in the AI landscape. As per Bloomberg News, the company has been working on an internal chatbot service, informally known as "Apple GPT," that will serve as its response to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, and Meta's Llama. This new framework, codenamed "Ajax," was created last year and currently operates on Google Cloud. While access to the chatbot is currently limited within Apple, there are indications that a major AI announcement could be made in the near future.
By venturing into the generative AI realm, Apple is showing its commitment to advancing in the AI space, particularly after the widespread success of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Despite not frequently using the term "artificial intelligence," Apple has been utilizing AI across its products, notably through its popular voice assistant, Siri.
Recently, the company made headlines by prohibiting the use of ChatGPT and Microsoft's GitHub Copilot, an AI code-writing assistant, by its employees. This move reinforces Apple's strategic approach to AI development. In line with its long-term vision, Apple had acquired two AI startups in 2020, hinting at the company's intention to incorporate AI into its core products and applications.
During a quarterly earnings call this year, CEO Tim Cook acknowledged Apple's plans to integrate AI into its products while also expressing caution about the future implications of this technology. With the AI landscape evolving rapidly, Apple's steps towards creating its own AI language models show its determination to stay competitive and relevant in the market.
