According to a post on MacRumors, Jeff Pu, a Hong Kong-based Haitong International Securities analyst who specializes in monitoring Apple’s supply chain, Apple is poised to construct several hundred AI servers this year, with plans to ramp up production in 2024. Pu predicts the tech giant will blend cloud-based AI with edge AI, emphasizing on-device data processing. However, he cautions that the integration of generative AI into Apple’s ecosystem will take time as the company navigates the complexities of personal data processing while upholding its commitment to user privacy.
Looking ahead, if Apple sticks to its proposed timeline, generative AI features could make their debut in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 by late 2024. However, the exact applications of this technology are still under wraps. Last month, The Information revealed Apple’s intention to enrich Siri with large language models, enabling users to automate intricate tasks through a deeper integration with the Shortcuts app. This advancement is anticipated to be available in next year’s iPhone software update, potentially aligning with the iOS 18 release.
In recent job postings on its official website, Apple openly expressed its interest in generative AI, confirming its engagement with the technology.
Proof of this comes in the form of what Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an interview with Forbes last month:
“We’ve been working on generative AI for years and have done a lot of research. And we’re going to approach it really thoughtfully and think about it deeply because we’re fully aware of the not-good uses that it can have, and the issues around bias and hallucination and so forth.”