Everyone wants to know how Apple "AI-izes"? The answer is here: Siri!

Last week, Apple's new iPad Pro featuring the M4 chip wowed everyone. The NPU neural network engine on the M4 chip can achieve 38TOPS computing power, far exceeding the M2's 18TPS, highlighting Apple's technical strength in edge artificial intelligence computing.

However, Morgan Stanley believes that considering the relatively narrow audience of the iPad Pro, the M4 chip is just a small "show of strength" by Apple. Updates to AI functions for ordinary consumers will be released at the WWDC conference on June 10th. The most significant update may be Siri.

According to media reports, Apple is expected to unveil an improved Siri at the WWDC conference, with a more conversational and versatile functionality. The underlying technology of Siri will include a new generative artificial intelligence system that will allow it to chat rather than answer one question at a time.

Furthermore, according to the latest media reports, Apple has reached an agreement with OpenAI to use its technology in iOS 18 to enhance Siri's conversational experience. The new version of Siri, driven by generative AI, will make its debut at WWDC.

Apple has reached an agreement with OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT technology in iOS 18

Sources cited by the media stated that Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, and Vice President in charge of AI business, John Giannandrea, spent several weeks last year testing ChatGPT and realized that compared to leading generative AI technology, Siri "looks outdated."

An engineer who previously worked on the Siri team told the media that the Siri team did not receive the attention and resources from other internal teams at Apple. The company's software and hardware departments operate independently with limited information sharing. However, for AI products to succeed, they must be deeply integrated with the product.

Since its launch in 2011, Siri has not undergone significant iterations. It does not support multi-turn conversations, often fails to understand user requests, and even struggles with basic tasks like playing music, which has also weakened the appeal of Apple's smart speaker, HomePod.

However, after testing ChatGPT, Apple underwent the "largest restructuring in over a decade," focusing resources on AI. After canceling the Apple Car project earlier this year, most engineers were transferred to the AI team. Reportedly, Apple spends millions of dollars per day on R&D for iterating Siri.

Apple executives believe that large language model technologies behind chatbots like ChatGPT can enhance Siri's capabilities. Apple has reached an agreement with OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT technology in the all-new operating system iOS 18. Apple is also in negotiations with Google and may introduce its LLM, but the agreement has not been finalized.

The new Siri will run on edge computing technology for lower costs and faster speeds

Currently, iPhone accounts for 85% of the global smartphone profits, with sales exceeding $200 billion, which has made numerous consumer electronics hardware manufacturers envious and attracted many challengers.

New AI hardware such as Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 claim to have the potential to challenge the iPhone. Although these devices currently do not pose a threat to the iPhone, Apple is concerned internally that with the development of large model technology, other smartphone manufacturers will integrate more AI elements into their operating systems, making the iPhone appear like a "dumb brick." In particular, the AI technology known as "agents," which can automatically complete complex tasks such as planning trips, hailing rides, and ordering meals, is intelligent and convenient, making many apps in the Apple AppStore pale in comparison.

Currently, Apple does not plan to directly release a new chatbot to compete with ChatGPT, Claude, and others. According to media reports, Apple is focused on improving Siri's ability to handle user requests, including setting timers, creating calendar events, and adding items to the grocery list. The new Siri may also be able to summarize text messages, create GIFs with a single click, and more.

Furthermore, there is a very important difference in Apple's technological approach compared to other chatbots— the new version of Siri will be based on edge computing technology rather than cloud computing, meaning it can understand context, complete conversations, and respond faster without the need for an internet connection, eliminating the need for expensive data center costs.

As a result, Apple will upgrade the memory of this year's iPhone to support the new edge artificial intelligence computing