Apple Successfully Navigates the AI Trap at WWDC

There are, roughly speaking, two Silicon Valleys.

One resembles the kind of pickup soccer game, usually with very young kids or drunk adults, where every player clusters in a panic around the ball. In 2023, this ball is generative AI, and the cluster began when everyone saw those eye-popping adoption numbers on OpenAI’s ChatGPT product. Investors decided AI was hot, rewarded stocks accordingly, and hundreds of tech companies — including most of the big guys — began to chase the money.

In the serene Cupertino bubble of Apple, often regarded as the second Silicon Valley, the world’s wealthiest company takes a unique approach. While short-term tech trends are disregarded, products are meticulously refined for years, if not decades, before they are unveiled to the public.

Despite the industry buzz claiming that VR/AR headsets are outdated, Apple boldly launched its own. While AI is hailed as a transformative force, Apple deliberately chose not to mention the term even once during its WWDC keynote, despite ample opportunities to do so. This intentional omission arguably had an impact on the stock price.

In contrast, Google, part of the first Silicon Valley, showcased an AI extravaganza at last month’s Google I/O keynote. The term AI was mentioned a staggering 99 times in just two hours, often feeling forced and exaggerated. The Pixel smartphone was not simply referred to as such but rather as an “AI-first mobile computer” delivering personalized AI experiences. Google boasted about leading the way in AI-driven hardware, claiming to be the sole phone centered around AI.

Enter Tim Cook and the WWDC 2023 keynote, where the audience comprised developers, analysts, and journalists, creating a similar hype-filled atmosphere surrounding AI. Surprisingly, AI was conspicuously absent from the entire presentation, a deliberate choice by Apple, considering the company’s meticulous approach to messaging.

While AI wasn’t explicitly mentioned, “machine learning” was uttered seven times during the event. In essence, AI encompasses machine learning. Apple showcased machine learning applications in various areas, such as PDFs in Apple Notes, the new Journal app, and even AirPods’ noise detection. Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, emphasized the advanced machine learning model behind creating iPad lockscreens using LivePhoto. Google, known for its lack of restraint, would likely label these advancements as mere “AI wallpaper.”

Or take Autocorrect in your iMessages, which uses a “state-of-the-art … Transformer language model,” Federighi informed us. You know what else is a state-of-the-art Transformer language model? ChatGPT! It’s a bit nerdy, but it’s also the main breakthrough that makes us feel like such AI software is actually talking back to us.

If AI was cool, surely the ultimate cool-chasing dad-joking tech exec would be saying it as often as possible?

Even when Apple had the opportunity to highlight the AI capabilities of their Vision Pro headset, they chose to describe it as utilizing an “advanced encoder-decoder neural network.” Although a neural network is a form of AI designed to mimic the human brain’s information processing, Apple deliberately avoided using the AI term. This deliberate choice seems to stem from Apple’s understanding that the average user finds AI intimidating. Instead of emphasizing its usage in their products, Apple focuses on how they protect users from potential AI-related threats.

Craig Federighi subtly conveyed this point in a postgame interview with Fast Company, discussing the potential risks of AI-driven deepfakes. He expressed Apple’s commitment to flagging such threats in the future, without explicitly mentioning AI. This approach aligns with Apple’s long-standing strategy of prioritizing user privacy and security. While many tech companies strive to monetize personal data, Apple’s business model revolves around selling high-priced devices, making user security a key differentiator.

The same principle applies to AI. While other companies like Google emphasize their “AI-first mobile computers,” Apple emphasizes the unparalleled security of their devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. While there may be language models driving autocorrections in iMessage, Apple avoids labeling it as AI. Despite a brief dip in Apple stock following the event, likely related to the Vision Pro’s price, it was a worthwhile trade-off for Apple, given their focus on user security.

Apple’s stock had just reached an all-time high a few hours before, demonstrating that CEO Tim Cook remains unfazed. Perhaps in the future, when the AI hype subsides, Apple may enhance Siri to resemble and sound more like ChatGPT, incorporating advanced machine learning and neural networking. However, it is unlikely that Apple will deviate from their calm and reassuring approach. Life within the spaceship at the heart of the second Silicon Valley is distinct and unique.

Facebook Comments

Related Trending Post:

Leave a Reply

Related News