As tech giants like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft invest heavily in AI research and development, the era of the ‘AI device’ is thoroughly upon us.
Apple’s AI features are set to launch as part of iOS 18 in September 2024. They include AI-generated Genmoji images, a smarter and more intuitive Siri, and a writing assistant called Rewrite.
These new features, some of which are united as “Apple Intelligence,” involve Apple leveraging its own models, OpenAI’s models, and possibly even a collaboration integration with Google’s Gemini models in the future.
News outlets like ZDNet speculate that Anthropic’s Claude might be on the cards, too, which would see Apple Intelligence take the ‘best bits’ from virtually any corner of the AI industry.
Apple has always been known for its walled-garden approach, tightly controlling every aspect of its hardware and software. Few are historically more reluctant to incorporate third-party services into their core offerings, especially from direct competitors like Google.
It will be confusing for consumers to learn that their iPhone, which has been Apple through and through for decades, is now suddenly embedded with Google’s technology.
Speaking of this strange collaboration, Michael Gartenberg, a technology analyst and former director of marketing at Apple, told WIRED, “In the past, this leak would have killed the deal,” continuing, “The first rule of doing a deal with Apple is don’t talk about Apple.”
This chimera of AI integrations will be confusing to navigate both commercially and in terms of regulations, as highlighted when the EU discussed concerns that Apple’s AI suite, dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” would risk breaking the Digital Markets Act.
Others, including Elon Musk, are concerned that multiple AI vendors delivering services to people’s devices constitute a major privacy risk.
In related news, while Apple Intelligence will initially be available as a free set of features, the company is exploring ways to monetize its AI offerings in the future.
This includes a paid tier called “Apple Intelligence+” that offers subscribers additional features.
Might Apple end up charging users for Google or Microsoft services and sharing the revenue?!
It doesn’t sound likely on paper, but AI has seemingly chucked the old rulebook out of the window.
Samsung is keen to keep up
In this quite bizarre smartphone market caught up in AI fever, every action has an opposite reaction.
Not to be outdone by its rival, Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, is also pushing its own AI integration strategy.
The company is expected to showcase its AI capabilities at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, where it will likely unveil new AI-powered features for its flagship devices.
Rumors suggest that Samsung will introduce AI-enhanced camera capabilities, such as improved low-light performance and real-time object recognition, in its upcoming foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Additionally, the company is expected to showcase AI-powered health and fitness features in its Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Ring wearables, offering personalized workout recommendations and real-time health monitoring.
Samsung’s AI efforts are further bolstered by its partnership with Google, showing again how the AI industry forms few true allies.
Meanwhile, Google recently announced that Gemini AI will be integrated into Google Messages, so users can access the AI service directly within the app.
It looks like Android, at least, is trying to retain some semblance of self-identity as Apple and Samsung race to embed AI technologies into their products from other brands.
PCs aren’t far behind
Smartphones aside for a moment, AI PCs with dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPUs) are also slowly but surely becoming the norm.
Gartner estimates that 54.4 million AI PCs will be shipped in 2024, while IDC and Canalys forecast that by 2027, 60% of all PC shipments will be “AI-powered.”
Manufacturers like AMD and Intel are developing solutions that combine the power of CPU, GPU, and NPU in a single package.
By processing data locally, AI PCs can essentially perform AI workloads locally on the machine – meaning there’s no need to send and receive data from cloud services. Local AI capabilities inside your laptop will allow you to use AI features on the PC without an internet connection.
That might enable you to dictate functions via speech to your PC to navigate menus, open applications, etc, without the internet.
Windows has already rolled out its Copilot AI tools; some new laptops ship with a dedicated Copilot button.
Useful? Maybe. It’s very difficult to tell how strong the consumer appetite for AI features in PCs and smartphones really is.
One consumer study showed that around 25% of Samsung Galaxy S24 buyers felt AI integration was a strong motivator.
One thing is for sure: tech companies are bullish that people want AI integrated directly into their devices now. In some cases, they’re willing to risk releasing half-finished tools or striking unusual collaborations just to win that AI edge in the market.
And they’re collaborating with competitors in what could become quite confusing for consumers looking on.
