💻 Apple is rejoining the AI arms race, as the iPhone maker is cooking up a ChatGPT-like search app, according to Bloomberg. Though the tech company has been gradually incorporating ChatGPT into its digital voice assistant, Siri, Apple now has its sights set on adding an in-house AI feature that functions as a search tool query. A newly formed team called Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) is working towards either a standalone generative AI app or an integration into its products like Siri and Safari.

The tech titan is pretty late to the game, and is falling behind rivals Microsoft, Meta, and Google, who have already cemented their status as top AI players to be reckoned with. When Apple did finally announce a personalized AI-powered Siri in 2024, the update was then delayed, and investors — and Apple’s stock — were not happy. The delay then led to a class action lawsuit, as Apple moved forward with the launch of its flagship iPhone 16 — the marketing campaign of which relied primarily on its AI capabilities — without the inclusion of the AI features advertised.

Rivalry is brewing as Google takes a jab at Apple’s now infamous delays in a new advertisement for its upcoming Pixel 10 smartphone. The ad’s narration pokes fun at Apple’s “coming soon” feature, saying: “it’s been coming soon for a full year… you could just change your phone.” In an attempt to exercise some damage control, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook gathered his team in a meeting earlier this week to reignite excitement around the company’s AI prospects and products underway, according to Bloomberg. Cook reaffirmed that Apple is on board with the AI revolution, claiming that the upcoming product launch is “amazing.”

MEANWHILE– In other AI news, ChatGPT is undergoing changes to become “less agreeable,” OpenAI announced. The statement highlights how ChatGPT should not outright suggest specific courses of action, such as breaking up with a partner, but rather guide users through making well-thought out decisions. The update follows an uptick in concerns over the model’s inherent user flattery and misplaced affirmations.

OpenAI is aiming for a safer experience for its users. The company is planning on forming an advisory group of professionals in mental health, youth development, and human-computer interaction, noting that its measure of success is “not time spent or clicks” but rather “whether you leave the product having done what you came for.”

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