Tim Cook explains why Apple’s generative AI could be the best on smartphones – and he might have a point

It’s an open secret that Apple is going to unveil a whole host of new artificial intelligence (AI) software features in the coming weeks, with major overhauls planned for iOS 18, macOS 15, and more. But it’s not just new features that Apple is hoping to hype up – it’s the way in which those AI tools are put to use.

Tim Cook has just let slip that Apple’s generative AI will have some major “advantages” over its rivals. While the Apple CEO didn’t explain exactly what Apple’s generative AI will entail (we can expect to hear about that at WWDC in June), what he did say makes a whole lot of sense.

Speaking on Apple’s latest earnings call yesterday, Cook said: “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.”

Cook also said Apple is making “significant investments” in generative AI, and that he has “some very exciting things” to unveil in the near future. “We continue to feel very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI,” he added.

Why Tim Cook might be right

Siri

(Image credit: Unsplash [Omid Armin])

There are plenty of reasons why Apple’s AI implementation could be an improvement over what's come before it, not least of which is Apple’s strong track record when it comes to privacy. The company often prefers to encrypt data and run tasks on your device, rather than sending anything to the cloud, which helps ensure that it can’t be accessed by nefarious third parties – and when it comes to AI, it looks like this approach might play out again.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, for example, has reported that Apple’s upcoming AI features will work entirely on your device, thereby continuing Apple’s commitment to privacy, amid concerns that the rapid development of AI is putting security and privacy at risk. If successful, it could also be a more ethical approach to AI than that employed by Apple’s rivals.

In addition, the fact that Apple creates both the hardware and software in its products allows them to be seamlessly integrated in ways most of its competitors can’t match. It also means devices can be designed with specific use cases in mind that rely on hardware and software working together, rather than Apple having to rely on outside manufacturers to play ball. When it comes to AI, that could result in all kinds of benefits, from performance improvements to new app features.

We’ll find out for sure in the coming weeks. Apple is hosting an iPad event on May 7, which reports have suggested Apple might use to hint at upcoming AI capabilities. Beyond that, the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) lands on June 10, where Apple is expected to devote significant energy to its AI efforts. Watch this space.

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Samsung Galaxy Ring could help cook up AI-powered meal plans to boost your diet

As we get closer to the full launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, we're slowly learning more about its many talents – and some fresh rumors suggest these could include planning meals to improve your diet.

According to the Korean site Chosun Biz (via GSMArena), Samsung plans to integrate the Galaxy Ring with its new Samsung Food app, launched in August 2023

Samsung calls this app an “AI-powered food and recipe platform”, as it can whip up tailored meal plans and even give you step-by-step guides to making specific dishes. The exact integration with the Galaxy Ring isn't clear, but according to the Korean site, the wearable will help make dietary suggestions based on your calorie consumption and body mass index (BMI).

The ultimate aim is apparently to integrate this system with smart appliances (made by Samsung, of course) like refrigerators and ovens. While they aren't yet widely available, appliances like Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator and Bespoke AI Oven include cameras that can design or cook recipes based on your dietary needs.

It sounds like the Galaxy Ring, and presumably smartwatches like the incoming Galaxy Watch 7 series, are the missing links in a system that can monitor your health and feed that info into the Samsung Food app, which you can download now for Android and iOS.

The Ring's role in this process will presumably be more limited than smartwatches, whose screens can help you log meals and more. But the rumors hint at how big Samsung's ambitions are for its long-awaited ring, which will be a strong new challenger in our best smart rings guide when it lands (most likely in July).

Hungry for data

A phone on a grey background showing the Samsung Food app

(Image credit: Samsung)

During our early hands-on with the Galaxy Ring, it was clear that Samsung is mostly focusing on its sleep-tracking potential. It goes beyond Samsung's smartwatches here, offering unique insights including night movement, resting heart rate during sleep, and sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep).

But Samsung has also talked up the Galaxy Ring's broader health potential more recently. It'll apparently be able to generate a My Vitality Score in Samsung's Health app (by crunching together data like your activity and heart rate) and eventually integrate with appliances like smart fridges.

This means it's no surprise to hear that the Galaxy Ring could also play nice with the Samsung Food app. That said, the ring's hardware limitations mean this will likely be a minor feature initially, as its tracking is more focused on sleep and exercise. 

We're actually more excited about the Ring's potential to control our smart home than integrate with appliances like smart ovens, but more features are never a bad thing – as long as you're happy to give up significant amounts of health data to Samsung.

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Tim Cook under fire over Final Cut Pro – and rightly so

Some of the world's top TV and film editors are not happy with Apple’s handling of Final Cut Pro – and they’re letting the company know about it. 

In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, over 100 production professionals are calling on the company to publicly commit to building the video editing software into an industry-standard tool. 

The frustrated filmmakers praise Final Cut Pro (FCP) as “the biggest leap forward in editing technology since the move to digital” – before lambasting  the company for failing to support the tool’s integration into professional film and TV production. Effectively, the authors believe FCP is strong enough to compete with the likes of Avid, but isn’t living up to its full potential. 

Oscar-worthy?

Published on GoPetition, the letter states :“If Apple renewed its public commitment to the professional filmmaking industry and its visionary product, we believe an increasing number of editors would discover the joys of using Final Cut Pro.” 

Ending with a pointed coda, the group bitterly notes that despite Apple TV+ recently becoming the first streaming platform to win the Best Picture Oscar, it’s unlikely the crew behind CODA would’ve chosen to edit the hit film with Final Cut Pro. 

‘Plans for the future’

In a supporting statement, Galliano Olivier, editor on the French drama Marianne, explains: “In France, it is extremely difficult to get permission to edit TV with Final Cut Pro. You can’t use it without fighting producers, directors, post-production supervisors, sound editors.” 

Knut Hake, editor for Netflix exclusive Bloody Red Sky, agrees, suggesting a public beta program for the video editing tool “would make a big difference for workflow consultants, systems integrators and third-party developers… it would make it much easier for people to fit Final Cut into their plans for the future.”

In a bid to increase platform adoption and tempt new editors over to FCP, the co-signatories also request the introduction of industry-specific features that have long been missing from the NLE software. 

However, Apple may need to do more than release a few patches to make Final Cut Pro the professional editing software of choice. Steve Sanders, editor-in-chief for Fox’s War of the Worlds, highlights another major problem: lack of collaboration. He said, “editing big productions needs collaboration. Different users have to be able to access the same library at the same time. There is no way around this. Avid Media Composer does it and even DaVinci Resolve does it. Apple still targets the single user. They have to change that.” 

The editors’ open letter comes just days after Apple released its latest version of Final Cut Pro. But it’ll take more than voice isolation, duplicate detection, and Mac Studio optimization to legitimize FCP in the eyes of the industry.  

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