Apple Set to Make Big AI Splash at WWDC 24 on June 10

Apple is poised to make a significant impact in the field of generative AI at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, scheduled to take place from June 10 to June 14, according to industry insiders and company executives. The conference will take place in Cupertino at Apple’s headquarters, Apple Park.

In recent months, Apple executives have been hinting at a major foray into the realm of generative AI, with CEO Tim Cook stating that the company has been investing billions to catch up with rivals like Microsoft and Google. Apple has been acquiring small startups and developing in-house technology to bolster its AI capabilities. Recently, it acquired much fancied Canadian AI startup Darwin AI.

"Mark your calendars for #WWDC24, June 10-14. It’s going to be Absolutely Incredible," said Apple's Senior Vice President, worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak on X, formerly called Twitter.

The company is also rumoured to be in advanced talks with Google to license its Gemini generative AI models, as well as exploring partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic for ChatGPT and Claude integration. For the Chinese market, Apple is reportedly in discussions with Baidu.

However, industry experts believe that Apple will primarily rely on its own models for on-device processing, leveraging its privacy pitch and the capabilities of its next-generation silicon.

With the M3 processor, Apple has already claimed that its chipset is the best for consumer AI, asserting that the M3 MacBook Air is the best consumer laptop for AI.

At WWDC 24, Apple is expected to announce major updates to its operating systems, including iOS 18, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and homeOS. These updates are likely to incorporate generative AI features across the board.

iOS 18, in particular, is expected to receive its biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7, inspired by the UI changes introduced with the Apple Vision Pro. Users may soon have the ability to place icons anywhere on their iPhone screens, and new features like scenes in the Freeform app and enhanced accessibility options are anticipated.

Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, is also expected to receive a massive generative AI-infused update, potentially making it far more useful than its current iteration.

In addition to software updates, Apple may also launch new entry-level AirPods and an updated AirPods Max with USB Type-C connectivity and other new features.

As Apple shifts resources from its now-shuttered autonomous car project, Project Titan, to its generative AI efforts, the company appears to be fully committed to making a significant impact in this rapidly evolving field.

Apple has also shown a propensity to partner as it broke ice with Nvidia to bring its Omniverse VR environment to the Apple Vision Pro.