Apple pushes AI into ecosystem, boasts of satellites and RCSApple pushes AI into ecosystem, boasts of satellites and RCS

Apple Intelligence is the moniker for Apple's lineup of AI-powered services. Apple's AI services will run through a mix of cloud and on-device processing.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies

June 10, 2024

3 Min Read
Apple Intelligence — the personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — combines the power of generative models with personal context
Apple is offering AI-powered services across a range of gadgets.(Source: Apple)

iPhone vendor Apple said it will offer a range of AI-powered services on its devices, a move designed to keep the company competitive with AI powerhouses like Microsoft and Alphabet's Google. For network operators, Apple's AI announcements are noteworthy considering the company will rely on a mix of on-device processing and cloud-based operations to deliver its "Apple Intelligence" services.

During its developer event Monday, Apple also confirmed its support for RCS messaging services. That's not a surprise, and it's noteworthy for network operators interested in providing more advanced messaging services across both Android and iOS users.

Separately, Apple also said it would expand its satellite-texting services beyond emergency messaging scenarios. That's interesting considering T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon have all announced plans to offer their own satellite-based messaging services for all customers, regardless of what phone they have.

But it was AI that stood center-stage during Apple's event Monday.

"This is a moment we've been working toward for a long time," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, during the company's media event.

Federighi explained that Apple plans to put privacy at the forefront of its approach to AI services. The company's on-device AI services will essentially link together various Apple services like messaging and mapping, thereby allowing users to leverage AI using their own contacts and personal data.

"This is AI for the rest of us," Federighi said.

Apple also said it would make its Siri digital assistant more useful via AI technologies, as well as offering new writing services and image-generation capabilities across its laptop, tablet and smartphone gadgets.

But for AI functions that cannot be performed on users' gadgets, Apple said it will use its new "Private Cloud Compute." 

"Apple Intelligence can flex and scale its computational capacity and draw on larger, server-based models for more complex requests," the company wrote of its private cloud. "These models run on servers powered by Apple silicon, providing a foundation that allows Apple to ensure that data is never retained or exposed."

Thus, Apple's foray into AI may create more demand for low-latency connections between Apple's users and the data centers hosting the company's "Private Cloud Compute."

Apple also confirmed reports that it would work with AI vendor ChatGPT. Apple said its AI services would funnel relevant user requests to ChatGPT that can't be otherwise addressed. But Apple said it would continue to focus on users' privacy in its new ChatGPT partnership.

"Users are asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer directly," the company explained.

Finally, Apple's new AI services will only be available on the company's newer devices, such as the iPhone 15. It's unclear whether that will drive a bigger phone-upgrade cycle in the fall when Apple is expected to release an updated iPhone. Wireless network operators often use the release of a new iPhone as a chance to introduce new promotions in an effort to steal customers from rivals.

Apple's newest AI announcements follow similar efforts from other companies in the space including Samsung and Qualcomm. For example, Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S24 Android smartphone earlier this year, touting a range of AI-powered services. Similarly, chipmaker Qualcomm – which currently sells its chips to both Samsung and Apple – for years has been discussing the role its smartphone chips can play in powering various AI services. 

About the Author

Mike Dano

Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading

Mike Dano is Light Reading's Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies. Mike can be reached at [email protected], @mikeddano or on LinkedIn.

Based in Denver, Mike has covered the wireless industry as a journalist for almost two decades, first at RCR Wireless News and then at FierceWireless and recalls once writing a story about the transition from black and white to color screens on cell phones.

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like