coolfactor

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coolfactor
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  • Cook 'incredibly excited' about generative AI coming to Apple gear later in 2024

    coolfactorcoolfactor
    For those that aren't aware, machine learning — a subset of artificial intelligence — goes back to the 1950's. It's not this magical new technology invented in the past few years. It's just that now with Generative AI models, we're starting to see a new age of AI, one where responses are "generated" on-the-fly. That's very different from what we've had access to in the past 30 years.

    The groundwork of computer neural networks — another aspect of AI — was inspired by the works of a Canadian in 1949.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning

    Apple is not "behind" by any means. A radical new Siri is coming.
    watto_cobra

  • Cook 'incredibly excited' about generative AI coming to Apple gear later in 2024

    coolfactorcoolfactor

    danvm said:
    omasou said:
    I love how Cook had to keep explicitly mentioning AI, ML, etc. for all of the stupid ChatGPT enamored folks that don’t understand how much AI is baked into Apple products and software and how Apple Si has AI/ML supporting GPU and Neural Engine cores have been expanding year after year.
    You are right that Apple has AI integrated in some of their products, but at the same time, they missed some opportunities.  One example is Siri.  They had a chance to have the best assistant in the market and didn't happen.  Another example is Apple suite of apps.  Microsoft and Google have done an excellent job by integrating AI into their apps, and Apple has done nothing. I don't think that people don't know or understand how Apple has integrated AI into their products. Is just that other companies have done a better job with AI than Apple with some applications and services. 

    Apple's genius with technology is providing a simple 'interface' to very complex and ever-evolving sophistication. Just because you can't see the AI/ML in Apple products doesn't mean that it's not there. You're confusing this Generative AI craze over the past year with Apple's decades of ML efforts. Most of that ML tech is "invisible" and "just works". Humans find it difficult to appreciate things they can't see or don't understand.
    watto_cobra

  • Cook 'incredibly excited' about generative AI coming to Apple gear later in 2024

    coolfactorcoolfactor
    charlesn said:
    Considering how badly Apple has fumbled voice assistant technology--Siri remains, as ever, the dumbest student in the class--I have concerns about how well it will deploy advanced AI capabilities. I am all-in on Apple devices EXCEPT when it comes smart speakers and voice-controlled lights and appliances. Part of the reason is because Siri continues to be frustratingly and profoundly stupid--but mainly, it's because Alexa and Google are in everything and Siri is not. Siri debuted as an iOS app 14 years ago this month. Then Apple bought the company that developed Siri just two months later. Meanwhile, Amazon wouldn't debut Alexa for another 4.5 years--but it totally blew away Siri capabilities when it hit the market. How Apple frittered away a years-long head start in voice assistant technology is beyond me, but they did and Alexa became ubiquitous.

    I think Tim said what he had to say today for the benefit of Wall Street because Apple is simply not in the conversation when it comes to AI... except to ask, "Where is Apple in all of this?" which is not the question you want raised. The lack of specifics in what he said did not inspire confidence that there are specifics to tout--I guess he's hoping to have some by WWDC in June. And you can blah, blah, blah all you want about how much AI is already in Apple products, but it doesn't change the fact that, as a company, they are not in the AI conversation like MSFT, NVDA, GOOG, META, etc. 

    As a creative professional--you know, a prime target market for Apple--AI is already having a profound and beneficial effect on my work flow. And none of the tools I'm currently using are connected to Apple in any way. 

    There is a difference between Supervised ML (machine-learning) assistants — which Siri is one — and Unsupervised Generative AI. You can't really compare these apples to apples. A Generative AI chatbot has a massive knowledgebase that is constantly being updated by ingesting new content. Siri, by contrast, learns from a pre-selected knowledgebase that doesn't change. Both are valid approaches. It's just a matter of evolution. We're now entering a new phase of AI/ML — generative content responses — which is not what Siri was originally designed with. It doesn't mean that Apple has fallen behind.

    This is another case of Apple not rushing to be the first, but will offer the best, most usable, most accessible version to the largest population. It would be extremely irresponsible of them to move Siri to a Generative AI model without having safeguards in place. We've seen what happens in ChatGPT and how some very concerning responses have been provided.

    To truly appreciate how good Siri is in 2024, one must compare it to Siri in 2010.  It has come a long way! But it will still faulter if people don't word their queries clearly and with good pronunciation. That's not a fault of Siri, but of the operator. Garbage in, garbage out.
    watto_cobra

  • iOS 17.4 beta has signs of an AI-improved Siri ahead of WWDC 2024

    coolfactorcoolfactor
    It’s hard to imagine that Siri could possibly get worse, but hopefully this will be an improvement.

    Siri is great in _many_ ways. But plenty of room for improvement.

    It looks like the article title may have been updated?

    Siri is already "AI-powered" in the sense that it's powered by machine-learning tech, a subset of AI.

    Generative AI is a whole new category that is bringing us closer to what Knowledge Navigator embodied back in the 80's.

    I envisioned such "helpful agents" 26 years ago. We're finally getting there.

    I foresee a massively upgraded Siri by end of year. 
    ihatescreennameswilliamlondonwatto_cobra

  • Apple still plans to charge developers for sideloading apps in EU

    coolfactorcoolfactor
    App signatures.

    Regardless of where an app came from, if it doesn't have an approved signature certificate from Apple, it won't run.

    I'm good with that.
    dope_ahminemac_dogdanoxchasmmacxpressGabyigorskydee_deewilliamlondonwatto_cobra