News from the AI & ML world
DeeperML - #apple
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Michal Langmajer@Fello AI
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Apple's plans to revamp Siri with advanced AI capabilities have been delayed, with a truly modernized version not expected until iOS 20 in 2027. This upgrade, known as "LLM Siri," was initially planned for iOS 19 but has encountered roadblocks, raising concerns about Apple's competitiveness in the AI field. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is struggling to rebuild Siri for the age of generative AI, and the company might not release "a true modernized, conversational version of Siri” until 2027.
This delay means that Apple's AI team believes a fully conversational Siri isn’t in the cards now until 2027. While Apple Intelligence aims to integrate AI across its devices with improved language models and contextual awareness, Siri, the centerpiece of Apple's assistant technology, lags behind competitors. Apple has cautioned investors that upcoming products may not achieve the same level of success as the iPhone, which remains a primary source of income for the company. Recommended read:
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@Latest from Laptop Mag
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Apple is reportedly developing a new AI-powered health app, codenamed "Project Mulberry," aimed at revolutionizing health tracking on iPhones. Expected to launch alongside iOS 19, the app will use AI algorithms to analyze health metrics from Apple devices and third-party sources. This comprehensive approach will enable the app to provide personalized insights and actionable recommendations to improve overall wellness, potentially transforming how users manage their health.
The app's AI coach will look at data from devices such as Apple Watch and potentially AirPods, which may gain future health-tracking features like heart-rate monitoring and temperature sensing. Apple is collaborating with health experts, including doctors, nutritionists, and therapists, to train the AI agents and create educational videos for the service, which may be called "Health+". The goal is to create an AI coach that can give personalized advice on sleep, exercise, mental well-being and other health issues. Recommended read:
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@Simon Willison's Weblog
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Apple is facing setbacks in its AI development, leading to delays in key features for Siri and Apple Intelligence. The enhanced version of Siri, promising a more personalized AI assistant experience, won't arrive until 2026, a pushback from its originally slated release with iOS 18. These delayed features are focused on enhancing Siri's context-awareness and capabilities, including scanning emails, messages, files, and photos to perform tasks across multiple apps, and understanding on-screen actions.
Apple's plan to replace Qualcomm modems with its in-house C1 chips is also facing hurdles, postponing the release of the mmWave-compatible C1 modem until 2026, potentially impacting the iPhone 17 lineup. This delay means the iPhone 17 series will continue using Qualcomm modems, as Apple grapples with technical challenges in perfecting mmWave integration. While the first-generation C1 modem offered improved power management, it faced inadequacy in supporting mmWave 5G. This setback impacts Apple's 5G independence and delays modem upgrades for iPhone users. Recommended read:
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@laptopmag.com
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Apple is reportedly developing future Apple Watch models with integrated cameras to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities. According to reports, Apple aims to add small cameras to both the standard Apple Watch and the Ultra version, potentially positioning them on the front screen or where the side button is located. The goal is to provide the watch with visual perception of its environment, making it smarter and more useful for users.
Adding cameras to the Apple Watch would enable new features, similar to object and text scanning currently available on iPhones. For example, the watch could identify objects, translate foreign text, or provide information about food packaging for allergy-conscious individuals. The camera system could also have applications in health monitoring, such as examining skin tone to determine sleep quality or measuring heart rate through wrist readings. Apple has been exploring various camera designs for the Apple Watch for years, with patents showcasing different approaches. These include hiding a camera in the watch band for health tracking, a pop-up camera for occasional use, and even integrating a camera into the Digital Crown or using a flip-up screen. Despite these advancements, Apple is shuffling its executive team, replacing the head of AI with the VP of Vision Pro, suggesting a strategic shift in its AI efforts, with internal sources labeling delays with new AI rollouts as "ugly." Recommended read:
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@felloai.com
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Apple is facing mounting criticism over its AI implementation, with reports of its "Apple Intelligence" features causing significant issues. The AI powered summaries are distorting headlines, fabricating news, misreporting deaths and incorrectly stating events. There have been several instances of these inaccuracies with a man being falsely reported to have died, a darts player being announced as a winner before a competition, and a tennis star being inaccurately outed as gay. These errors, have sparked concerns about trust and reliability in the tech company's AI, leading some to suggest that Apple is facing an AI trust crisis.
Apple's AI push is also being scrutinized for how it handles messages. The AI is rewriting scam messages to appear legitimate and marking them as priority messages, further complicating the issue. This is compounded by notification summaries that misinterpret data, resulting in inaccurate information being delivered to users. Apple’s attempts to mitigate the problems with a UI tweak to clarify when summaries are AI-generated are seen as insufficient, with critics arguing that such measures will not stop the spread of misinformation, and are not doing enough to address the core problems of its flawed AI. Recommended read:
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Tobias Mann@The Register - Software
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Apple is set to automatically enable its 'Apple Intelligence' features on compatible devices with the rollout of macOS 15.3, iOS 18.3, and iPadOS 18.3. This default activation will integrate AI capabilities into operating systems for new and upgrading users alike. Specifically, this applies to iPhone 15 Pro and later, iPads and Macs with Apple Silicon M1 chips or later, and the newest iPad mini. Although Apple Intelligence will be turned on during the device setup process, users will have the option to manually disable the feature through settings, if they choose. This marks a significant shift, as users previously had to activate AI features manually, which was confusing for some users.
The rollout includes features like notification summaries, writing tools, Image Playground, ChatGPT-powered Siri, and Visual Intelligence, although the notification summary feature for news and entertainment apps has recently been paused due to inaccuracies. Apple has stated that summaries may contain errors and is working on improving their identification on the iPhone lock screen. In related news, Apple is also facing a lawsuit regarding the use of "forever chemicals" in some of their Apple Watch bands. The lawsuit alleges that the Sport Band, Ocean Band, and Nike Sport Band, all made with fluoroelastomer, contain harmful PFAS chemicals. These chemicals, which are resistant to breakdown, have been linked to health issues including increased cancer risk and immune system problems. Recommended read:
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Asma Hussain@iThinkDifferent
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Apple is facing significant difficulties with its AI assistant, Siri, leading to feature delays and internal frustration. According to reports, Apple's top Siri executive admitted in a meeting that the AI upgrade has been problematic, calling the delays "ugly and embarrassing." The executive also acknowledged that promoting features before they were ready worsened the situation. Despite these challenges, Apple aims to improve Siri and make it the "world's greatest" assistant.
The issues with Siri's AI upgrade have resulted in key enhancements being postponed, with some features possibly not appearing until the iOS 19 cycle or later. The premature showcasing of these capabilities at events like WWDC 2024 and in marketing campaigns for the iPhone 16 has added to the pressure. Although Apple is committed to enhancing Siri, quality issues remain a critical hurdle, raising concerns about the company's ability to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Recommended read:
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@www.forbes.com
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Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit concerning its Siri voice assistant. The lawsuit alleges that Siri recorded private conversations when unintentionally activated, sharing these recordings with third parties including advertisers and human reviewers. The plaintiffs claim this happened without their consent and that they were then targeted with specific ads based on these conversations, with some citing examples of receiving ads for products or medical treatments after discussing those topics near their devices. The settlement also mentions that Apple employed contractors to listen to some of these recordings which included private and confidential conversations.
Apple denies any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. However, the agreement indicates that eligible users who owned a Siri-enabled device between 2014 and 2019 may be entitled to a payout of up to $20 per device. Class members are defined as individuals who are current or former owners of a Siri Device and reside in the US and its territories. They must also be willing to declare under oath that Apple recorded their conversations while Siri was accidentally activated. The final size of each payment will depend on the number of claims made. Recommended read:
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Jonny Evans@Apple Must
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Apple is making significant changes to its AI strategy by replacing John Giannandrea with Mike Rockwell as the head of Siri development. CEO Tim Cook reportedly lost confidence in Giannandrea’s execution regarding product development. This decision highlights Apple’s urgent need to enhance Siri’s capabilities and improve its integration across Apple devices and services. The move was described by one insider as a measure to "sort Siri out," reflecting internal pressure to boost the AI assistant's performance.
Rockwell, celebrated for his role in developing the Vision Pro, is expected to bring a fresh perspective to Siri’s development. Two of Rockwell's top lieutenants, Kim Vorrath and Aimee Nugent, have already been moved into the Siri team. While Rockwell will oversee Siri and report to Craig Federighi, Giannandrea will remain at Apple, focusing on broader AI and robotics research and technologies. This reorganization, announced internally, signifies a strategic shift following discussions at Apple's annual leadership summit about the company’s AI future. Recommended read:
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nftjedi@chatgptiseatingtheworld.com
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Apple has announced a massive $500 billion investment in the United States over the next four years, signaling a significant boost to American manufacturing and innovation. This commitment includes the establishment of a new AI server manufacturing facility in Texas, expected to open in 2026. The 250,000-square-foot facility near Houston will produce servers powering Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute, previously manufactured overseas, creating thousands of jobs.
Apple's investment also encompasses the creation of 20,000 new jobs nationwide, with a focus on research and development, silicon engineering, software development, and AI and machine learning. Furthermore, Apple is doubling its U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Fund to $10 billion, supporting innovation and high-skilled manufacturing. The fund includes a multibillion-dollar commitment to advanced silicon chip production at TSMC's Arizona facility and the opening of an "Apple Manufacturing Academy" in Detroit, Michigan. Recommended read:
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kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa)@windowscentral.com
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Apple is planning to integrate Apple Intelligence into the Vision Pro to revitalize sales of the $3,500 device. According to reports, a new update, visionOS 2.4, slated for release as early as April, will include AI-powered features and a spatial content app. Developers may gain access even earlier. The integration aims to address concerns over the headset's high price and limited app support, leveraging features like Writing Tools, Genmojis, and the Image Playground app. Apple Intelligence, still rolling out to iPhone 15 users and newer Macs, could potentially boost user interest in the Vision Pro.
Apple has also unveiled its first custom-designed C1 modem, debuting in the $599 iPhone 16e. This new modem promises improved battery life and network performance, reducing the company's reliance on Qualcomm. The C1 modem subsystem combines a 4-nanometer baseband modem with a 7-nanometer transceiver, and has undergone extensive testing with carriers globally. The iPhone 16e, which replaces older models like the iPhone SE and iPhone 14, features the A18 chip and Apple Intelligence, aiming to offer a budget-friendly option with premium AI capabilities. Recommended read:
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Jibin Joseph@PCMag Middle East ai
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Apple has temporarily disabled its AI-powered notification summaries for news apps following numerous reports of significant inaccuracies. The feature, designed to condense news headlines, has been criticized for misrepresenting facts, generating false information, and even branding inaccurate news alerts with logos of news organizations such as the BBC. Notably, a false report surfaced stating that a suspect in the United Healthcare CEO murder case had taken his own life, which was not true. Apple has acknowledged these issues and is working on improvements, including a warning message stating that summaries may contain errors and italicizing the AI-generated text to differentiate it from genuine news.
The company has temporarily disabled the AI summarization for all news and entertainment apps and is planning to reintroduce the feature in a future software update after the underlying issues are resolved. While the AI summaries will remain available for other types of apps, users will now see a warning in settings regarding the accuracy limitations, alongside the option to manage notification summaries directly from the lock screen. The suspension follows complaints from several media outlets and a call from the National Union of Journalists to halt the service to protect the integrity of online journalism. Recommended read:
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@appleinsider.com
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appleinsider.com
, The Tech Portal
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Apple is introducing 'Priority Notifications' powered by Apple Intelligence in the iOS 18.4 update, set to enhance how users manage alerts on their iPhones. This new feature, currently available in the iOS 18.4 Beta 1, utilizes on-device Apple Intelligence to assess the significance of incoming notifications. It will elevate the most critical ones to a distinct section at the top of the Lock Screen, ensuring that essential alerts, such as urgent messages, work emails, calendar reminders, or breaking news, are immediately visible and not overlooked.
To activate the feature, users need to open the Settings app, tap on Notifications, and toggle the "Prioritize Notifications" option to 'On.' Once enabled, the iPhone will intelligently organize notifications, highlighting those deemed most important based on usage patterns and interactions, regardless of their age. This prioritization aims to minimize distractions by filtering out less critical alerts, similar to the priority mail feature in the Apple Mail app. The iOS 18.4 update is also set to introduce a dedicated "Apple Vision Pro" application. Recommended read:
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@www.it-daily.net
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www.it-daily.net
Apple is reportedly delving into the realm of robotics, exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robot concepts. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the tech giant is in the early stages of research and development in this area, though the company itself has not officially confirmed these plans. A recently published research paper by Apple on human-robot interaction, specifically using a Pixar-like desk lamp as an example, supports these findings.
Apple's foray into robotics signifies a diversification of its technological portfolio. While still in the early stages, with mass production potentially not expected until 2028 at the earliest, the company seems to be focusing on the human-robot interaction and the underlying sensor and software technology. The smart home ecosystem is a potential area of application, with possibilities ranging from intelligent assistance systems to more complex humanoid robots. Recommended read:
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