Regarding digital assistants and artificial intelligence, Apple is not stopping at Siri. According to recent rumors, the Cupertino-based company is working on a new AI system beyond the speech recognition and synthesis algorithms that currently power Siri. This ambitious project, revealed by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, could mark the beginning of a new era for Apple, with advanced robotic devices to rival Tesla’s efforts in this area.
The new AI system Apple is developing is very different from Siri. This innovative assistant is designed to provide a more natural and human-like interaction experience. It will be integrated into a series of household robots that Apple plans to launch on the market in the coming years. These devices are expected to hit the market in 2026 or 2027 and could include everything from tabletop devices to mobile robots and humanoids.
One of the first products to see the light of day could be an iPad-like device with a robotic arm and advanced AI capabilities. Codenamed J595, this device could act as an audio and video interface for voice commands and perform tasks such as monitoring, controlling lights and appliances, managing air conditioning, and accessing multimedia content. Its design aims to overcome the limitations of current devices and offer an integrated and advanced solution.
Apple's decision to separate this new AI system from Siri makes sense when considering the specialization required for robotic devices. The latest AI could be based on a more advanced language model designed to learn and adapt better to the user's habits, gaining accuracy and speed over time.
In the short term, another critical project called Apple Intelligence will launch in 2024. This network of AI features, integrated into the iOS 18.1 update, promises to simplify interaction with Apple products and will initially be launched in the United States. Apple Intelligence will also work on further developing Siri and incorporating generative AI functions for more natural and complex user interactions.