Apple is reportedly working on its own AI large language model and restricting employees from using ChatGPT over privacy concerns. John Giannandrea, Google’s former AI chief, is leading this effort. In 2020, Apple purchased two AI startups for a whopping $200 million and $50 million, respectively. It’s voice assistant Siri also utilizes machine learning to better understand user requests. During a quarterly call earlier this month, CEO Tim Cook talked about ultimately “weaving” AI into its products, noting that user privacy needs to be at the forefront.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has also told some employees to limit their use of ChatGPT and other external AI tools, such as the Copilot coding tool by Microsoft’s GitHub. Apple’s concern is presumably that confidential data may be released to train the AI model, making user privacy a top priority for the tech giant.
Apple is a multinational technology company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. Founded in 1976, Apple’s range of products have made it one of the world’s largest information technology companies.
John Giannandrea is an American business executive best known as the Chief of Machine Learning and AI Strategy at Apple Inc., where he works very closely with its CEO Tim Cook. Before joining Apple in 2018, Giannandrea served as senior vice president of Engineering at Google. He is also the founder of Metaweb, a startup acquired by Google for $15 billion in 2010. Giannandrea is responsible for ushering in the era of artificial intelligence-driven products in both Apple and Google. As the head of Apple’s AI team, he focuses heavily on making sure that user data remain confidential and secure.
