Apple quietly working on Ajax to take on ChatGPT and other AI rivals

Apple shares gained more than 2% to attain a record high of $198.23 on the back of news of its AI effort
Apple quietly working on Ajax to take on ChatGPT and other AI rivals

Ajax is Apple's new framework to create large language models — the AI-based systems at the heart of offerings like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. Stock picture: Getty

Apple is quietly working on artificial intelligence tools that could challenge those of OpenAI, Google and others, but the company has yet to devise a clear strategy for releasing the technology to consumers.

The iPhone maker has built its own framework to create large language models — the AI-based systems at the heart of new offerings like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard — according to people with knowledge of the efforts. 

With that foundation, known as “Ajax”, Apple also has created a chatbot service that some engineers call “Apple GPT”. In recent months, the AI push has become a major effort for Apple, with several teams collaborating on the project, said the sources. The work includes trying to address potential privacy concerns related to the technology. 

Apple shares gained more than 2% to a record high of $198.23 after Bloomberg first reported on the AI effort. Shares in Microsoft, which is OpenAI’s partner and main backer, slipped about 1% on the news.

Apple playing catch-up

Apple was caught flat-footed in the past year with the introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard and Microsoft’s Bing AI. Though Apple has woven AI features into products for years, it’s now playing catch-up in the buzzy market for generative tools, which can create essays, images and even video based on text prompts. 

The technology has captured the imagination of consumers and businesses in recent months, leading to a stampede of related products.

Apple has been conspicuously absent from the frenzy. Its main artificial intelligence product, the Siri voice assistant, has stagnated in recent years. But the company has made AI headway in other areas, including improvements to photos and search on the iPhone. There’s also a smarter version of auto-correct coming to its mobile devices this year.

Publicly, chief executive Tim Cook has been circumspect about the flood of new AI services hitting the market. Though the technology has potential, there are still a “number of issues that need to be sorted”, he said in May. Apple will be adding AI to more of its products, he said, but on a “very thoughtful basis”.

Generative AI

Behind the scenes, Apple has grown concerned about missing a potentially paramount shift in how devices operate. Generative AI promises to transform how people interact with phones, computers and other technology. And Apple’s devices, which produced revenue of nearly $320bn in the last financial year, could suffer if the company doesn’t keep up with AI advances.

That’s why Apple began laying the foundation for AI services with the Ajax framework, as well as a ChatGPT-like tool for use internally. Ajax was first created last year to unify machine learning development at Apple, according to the people familiar with the effort.

The company has already deployed AI-related improvements to search, Siri and maps based on that system. 

And Ajax is now being used to create large language models and serve as the foundation for the internal ChatGPT-style tool, the sources said. 

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