Here’s a very compelling argument that Apple will win the AI race… or, more specifically, the personal AI race. Cue this video for all the details. Spoiler if you are lazy: Apple owns the device and the context, they don’t need the most powerful LLM to succeed in the personal AI space.
Another tech journalist has passed away: John C. Dvorak at age 80. I recall reading his column in MacUser magazine during the challenging early days of Apple. Although I wasn’t a fan, I occasionally kept reading his work. I always saw him as a perennial Apple skeptic, perhaps more for the sake of it, but personally, he might have felt more warmly about Apple’s future than he let on. He was often wrong on tech trends and about Apple.
OpenAI’s First AI Device Will Be a Portable Smart Speaker:
OpenAI’s speaker-like product is designed to “serve as a humanlike AI companion that lives in the home,” according to Bloomberg. It will be able to control smart home accessories, answer questions, play media, respond to messages, and more, with the device powered by ChatGPT. It is meant to learn more about the user over time, becoming more personalized and proactive, using GPT-Live to communicate with users.
What will be the onboarding experience? Will it require a smartphone? Can they beat Apple on integrations? How is this OpenAI device going to access my messages? Which messaging service will be supported?
If Siri AI delivers on its promise, what does it mean for app developers? Since 2008, the iPhone experience has been built on top of application-based experiences. Siri AI seems to be offering a bridge between these apps, pushing the application experience behind Siri’s. Not only that, but Apple will ask developers to add support for Siri AI, accelerating the paradox of helping Apple’s bottom line, not the developers’. Interesting read from The Verge, for more context.
Gruber on Musk fixation on Apple and ChatGPT in a recent blog post: Remember Musk’s Suit Alleging a Conspiracy Between Apple and OpenAI? — Daring Fireball
Musk alleges that the top downloads list is crooked too. That’s just projection. If Musk ran a popular App Store he’d put his thumb on the scale to make sure his own apps always top the list. That’s what he’s done with his personal account, and accounts aligned with his politics, on Twitter/X. Because that’s what he would do, he thinks that’s what Apple does.
He’s probably right: Cheaters are often suspicious of others cheating too.
I don’t know if I should trust the news, but it seems that opposition to data centers and artificial intelligence is growing. Nowadays, you have to be cautious about what the media spreads. Controversial topics sell, but they don’t always reflect reality. Still, I get the feeling that frustration is gradually building. 🤨
Apple lawsuit reveals how many of its former employees now work at OpenAI — 9to5Mac
While Apple doesn’t get into specifics, we know from Bloomberg reporting that Apple employees across countless teams inside Apple have left for OpenAI. Most recently, OpenAI poached Paul Meade, who had been in charge of Apple Vision Pro and Apple’s smart glasses project.
Maybe those former Apple employees think that Apple is no longer THE place to be to invent the best possible user experiences or the next revolutionnary device? Or maybe OpenAI simply pays more than Apple? Or maybe a combination of both?
I understand that companies want to protect their intellectual property. But this new saga between Apple and OpenAI represents what I dislike about the tech world: it’s just noise that distracts me from more fundamental and interesting things. Apple is very fond of these legal battles, and I find it all tiresome.
A very telling image of Eddy Cue. First, Eddy Cue is not a fan of the iPad and prefers to use paper for his agenda. Second, and not least, Apple is clearly working on an Oura Ring competitor. The first Apple ring to be offered in light gray. 🤫
Is the Apple TV the new Trash Can Mac Pro? And why on earth do we need a 128 GB configuration? Was it an Apple trick so that people not knowing what they were buying would go the 128 GB route, making Apple smile with 💵💵💵? It’s a shame that Apple keep this around and even increase the price!