Apple is shifting its focus to natural-language search processing for Siri, according to recent reports. In February, the company hosted its annual AI summit to discuss its advancements in machine learning and AI.
While the event was relatively low-key, insiders familiar with the summit have revealed that Apple engineers, including members of the Siri team, are actively exploring language-generating concepts.
Apple focuses on natural-language processing for its voice assistant Siri to compete with ChatGPT
Currently, Siri relies on a pre-existing database of prompts to respond to user inquiries. However, generative language would require a much more complex undertaking. Apple would need to rebuild the entire database, which could take up to six weeks, according to former Apple engineer John Burkey. Moreover, more complex features could take up to a year to develop.
The shift in focus is likely in response to the growing popularity of natural-language processing and chatbots, with tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon racing to integrate these features into their products. Microsoft has already integrated ChatGPT features into its Bing and Edge products, while Google has released AI tools for its Workspace and opened up its AI language model, PaLM, to developers and businesses.
Despite the increased competition, Apple faces significant challenges in developing generative language technology that can match the accuracy and sophistication of the latest language models. OpenAI, for instance, recently released GPT-4, which has shown significant improvements over previous models.
While the Siri team is reportedly exploring language-generating concepts, it remains to be seen how Apple plans to integrate these features into its products. Nevertheless, the company’s efforts in this area suggest that it is committed to staying at the forefront of AI and natural language processing.
The demand for natural language processing and generative language models has skyrocketed in recent years, with ChatGPT leading the charge. While Apple has been playing catch-up, its recent focus on natural language search processing shows that the company is serious about competing in this space.
With major players like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft already integrating chatbot features into their products, it’s crucial for Apple to stay on top of the latest advancements in AI and machine learning. The race to create the best generative language model is far from over, but with the release of GPT-4 by OpenAI, it’s clear that the competition is heating up. Only time will tell which company will come out on top.
(via NYT)
