Apple Inc. rarely mentions artificial intelligence (AI), while Google, Microsoft, Meta, and other tech giants are trying everything to leverage the buzz. Tech giants across the globe are hogging up the technology, mainly generative AI.
The iPhone manufacturer barely mentions the technology and what they are doing with it. It is noteworthy that CEO Tim Cook uses the word AI to a bare minimum. Is Apple not interested in this advancement, or is something going on under the radar?
Apple Never Mentions AI, Why?
During the current earnings season, the company heads spoke with the investors and holders during a customary call. On July 25, 2023, when Alphabet reported its earnings, CEO Sundar Pichai and his team mentioned AI over 66 times. On the same day, Microsoft head Satya Nadella said the word 47 times. Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, mentioned it around 42 times.
Apple Inc will announce earnings on August 3, 2023, but during the last earnings call, Tim Cook only mentioned AI twice, upon being asked. During a software launch event in June 2023, the team never said the word even once. However, they announced some of the features powered by AI.
Instead of using AI, Apple team executives prefer using “machine learning”, which is synonymous with artificial intelligence and is popular amongst intellectuals, academicians, and practitioners. Moreover, they prefer what the software does for its user and use AI as the core component.
Other companies present AI as the future of computing, but Apple’s AI work in the background. Keeping it simple as they always have, they don’t blab about the technology as their peers do. Executives think it’s unnecessary; their products and software stand independently and do not require support from the word AI.
What Others Are Doing With AI and What’s Apple Doing?
On July 26, 2023, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google and Athropic entered a self-regulatory Frontier Model voluntarily. This was an industry-led body aimed to develop safety standards surrounding artificial intelligence. While on July 21, 2023, Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, among seven companies, agreed to AI safeguard standards set by the White House.
Google recently announced plans to upgrade its search engine using artificial intelligence. The team is calling this new upgrade a Search Generative Experience. Microsoft, on the other hand, started a $30 per month subscription for Co-pilot, which integrates generated texts or code from ChatGPT into Word, Powerpoint, etc. Meta came up with its own AI language model, LLaMa.
All the while, Apple seems to be sitting idly on the corner bench, watching the children play in park. Moreover, out of its $94.84 Billion revenue, nearly $51.3 Billion came from selling iPhones worldwide in Q2 2023. Its executives do not feel the need to talk loud about the technology, at least for now.
Industry experts have already cleared that the technology is nascent and will take years to become mainstream. Additionally, the products and services announced by the companies could take years before they reach the market. There is also the risk that the buzz around the technology might fade away anytime.
Companies are still developing the products and determining whether the audience likes or buys them. For instance, Mark Zuckerberg was very optimistic about a concept called “AI agents” which would allow the software to message business customers without human intervention. It also had many other applications as well. But he was skeptical about who or how many would use it.
The Parabola of the Hype Cycle
Experts believe the tech giants’ slow roll-out of AI products might go through a parabolic arc or hype cycle. When a new technology is introduced, it garners a lot of attention from the masses. As a result, investment reaches its peak but development is found to be slower than expected and the enthusiasm fades away.
Considering the parabolic arc, the current scenario is climbing, with added investments and stock prices reaching an all-time high. If the companies fail to deliver the product by the deadline and they do not perform as expected, things will begin to fall apart.
Apple is probably waiting for the ripples to settle. It is acting like a duck, calm above the water, but paddling like crazy underwater. Maybe the company is secretly working on a game-changing AI product they will release once ready.
Steve Anderson is an Australian crypto enthusiast. He is a specialist in management and trading for over 5 years. Steve has worked as a crypto trader, he loves learning about decentralisation, understanding the true potential of the blockchain.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/07/29/apple-inc-steers-clear-off-mentioning-ai-whats-brewing/