During Thursday’s fiscal second quarter 2024 earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about Apple’s work on generative AI. Cook says some “very exciting things” will soon be shared with customers.
We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI. We are making significant investments and we’re looking forward to sharing some very exciting things with our customers soon.
We believe in the transformative power and promise of AI and we believe we have advantages that will differentiate us in this new era, including Apple’s unique combination of seamless hardware, software and services integration, groundbreaking Apple silicon with our industry leading neural engines, and our unwavering focus on privacy, which underpins everything we create.
Several reports have indicated that Apple’s initial AI features will run solely on-device, rather than connecting to a cloud service, making Apple’s AI more private and secure than the AI options from competitors like Google. On-device AI will require heavy-duty CPUs and GPUs, and Apple is reportedly focusing on AI capabilities in its upcoming M4 chip.
The M4 chip could debut as soon as next week when Apple is expected to unveil new iPad Pro models.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says he believes there is a “strong possibility” that Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro models will be powered by Apple’s M4 chip, rather than the M3 that is currently powering MacBook Pro and iMac models. Gurman says the M4 chip will boast an upgraded Neural Engine with boosted AI performance. Gurman says he expects to see Apple promote the new iPad Pro as an AI-powered device.
