Amid expectations for the arrival of new artificial intelligence features with iOS 18 in June, a recent discovery in the iOS 17.4 code has brought to light that Apple continues to actively work on the development of generative AI in its devices, with some external assistance.
More power to Siri and Messages with Apple's own AI model
The analysis of the iOS 17.4 code by 9to5Mac has unveiled what Apple is up to: a new version of Siri and the Messages app powered by large-scale language model technology. As far as we know, Apple appears to be using the ChatGPT API (a method of connecting to ChatGPT's servers and services without having to go through its own application or website) for internal testing, presumably with the goal of comparing results as it advances in the development of its own AI models.
According to 9to5Mac, iOS 17.4 incorporates a private framework called SiriSummarization, which makes calls to OpenAI's ChatGPT API. Multiple examples of system commands designed for this SiriSummarization framework have been identified. They include requests such as "please summarize," "please answer these questions," and "please summarize the given text."
These phrases alone indicate a deeper and more sophisticated interaction between the user and the virtual assistant, reflecting Apple's emphasis on improving Siri's ability to process and respond more effectively to our requests. In the same vein, we must remember what was published by Bloomberg, which indicated that Apple is working on integrating AI also in the Messages app, making it capable of answering questions and completing sentences automatically.
It is important to note that, although Apple is using ChatGPT technology for internal testing and as a reference framework, it is unlikely to rely on OpenAI models to power the AI functions in iOS 18. Instead, it is doing so to develop its own system, but internally comparing its results with those of ChatGPT and other AI models. The iOS 17.4 code suggests that Apple is testing four different AI models, including ChatGPT, FLAN-T5, and an internal model called "Ajax" (with its two versions, one processed on-device and an external one).
Indeed, according to a detailed report by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg in October, "there is an edict" within Craig Federighi's software team at Apple to fill iOS 18 "with features that run on the company's large-scale language model." Information that undoubtedly anticipates great improvements in the use of iOS, with significant enhancements in the functionality and efficacy of our devices.
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